Shades Of Grey
by rainbowwriters
Summary: This BTVS fic was written way back in 2003 and is up on a couple of sites that are still out there, but we wanted to bring all our writing together on this site - Set in Season Seven, The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note : **This BTVS fic was written way back in 2003 and is up on a couple of sites that are still out there, but Kath and I wanted to bring all our writing together on this site (eventually all be it slowly) and we decided to start with this one. I just wanted to take a moment to stress that it warrants it's M rating so please be aware of that, but hopefully for all of you who know the story this will be a place you can easily find it from now on, and for any new readers – I sincerely hope you will enjoy.

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M ****Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part One.**

It was Saturday, Xander loved Saturdays, they meant he could lie in bed, watch cheesy TV and not have to worry about getting into work before the crew to check the site over for vandalism, or for the general 'disruption' that was often rampant in Sunnydale. Saturdays meant junk food and lots of coffee whenever he wanted it. Then there were scruffy clothes, back into the jeans and long sleeved T-shirts that still owned such a large part of his heart but had been banished from his weekdays.

'Oh yes, relaxing clothes.' He sighed at the idea.

This Saturday however was different. It was two thirty in the afternoon and he'd just stepped out of the shower, his second of the day. He'd been up since eight a.m., helping Buffy with the latest round of SIT training. His head hurt, his back hurt and he was pretty sure by the end of the day he'd have a shiner from the right hook that one of the young Slayer's had accidentally landed on him during sparring.

"So much for Saturdays." He groaned pulling on a pair of khaki combat pants and a cream T-shirt with black long sleeves.

He was due back at the Summers house by five. Buffy had said something about a group discussion on The First and how to deal and then he'd agreed to meet up with Anya on 'neutral' territory to discuss things like why he was being nice to her and why she was being nice to him.

"I need to tidy the apartment too." Xander moaned to himself as he wandered through to the kitchen, picking up two half drunk cups of stone cold coffee on his way. "God, I sound middle aged." He grumbled to himself as he put the cups in the sink and gave them a quick blast of lukewarm water trying to get the thick granulated sludge out of the bottom.

Standing up straight he flexed his shoulders back and then leaned forward trying to look in the glass panel of a kitchen cupboard to assess how his bruised cheek was doing. The redness hadn't spread upwards into his eye like he had expected and instead it ran in a slightly angry looking line tracing his cheekbone.

"Great." He sighed and pulled open the cupboard and pulled out of it a box of cereal. Pushing his hand into the badly opened top, he pulled out a handful and began munching it one piece at a time.

Deciding this was one of those moments he needed coffee, he flicked the kettle on to make himself one just as the doorbell of the apartment briefly resounded around the room in a shockingly pleasant ding-ding.

Dumping his small handful of uneaten cereal on the counter, he trudged barefoot towards the door getting there just as the doorbell sounded out again.

"Okay I'm coming but if you're a debt collector, a demon from hell or some kind of religious nut go away I'm really not in the mood to deal." Xander flicked the lock and pulled the door open, pushing his hand up through his wet, tousled hair.

"I don't think I fall under any of those categories."

A voice Xander never, ever counted on hearing answered him in a gentle almost heart soothing tone. Slowly the carpenter's head rose and dark brown eyes looked up meeting pale blue ones.

"Tara?" He squeaked.

-x-

Standing in the hallway outside the apartment, Tara smiled softly and pressed her hand down the side of the three-quarter-length brown suede jacket she was wearing making the material go lighter to mark the trail of her palm. With her other hand trembling slightly she reached up and pulled the subtle rainbow striped hat from off her head and balled it up in the hand that removed it.

For a long moment Xander just stared at her and then backed up slightly away from the threshold.

"So you've started ringing the doorbell and getting all civilized rather than just showing up and pushing us towards insanity?" He eventually turned away shaking his head.

"What?" The blonde witch's brow creased in a confused frown. "I…"

"Oh and doing the innocent trick, yeah very convincing. So come on, let me have it, the apocalyptic message, the image of death and Hellmouthy goodness that you have to sear on my brain and scar my existence." Xander turned and walked back towards the kitchen expecting her to follow.

"Have I c-c-come at a bad time?" Still standing in the doorway Tara watched the young man retreat into the apartment growing more and more confused before in order to keep him in sight she took a few steps inward.

"A bad time?" Xander laughed bitterly and shook his head. "Oh you're good aren't you." He stopped in the sitting room and turned to look at the door. "Okay I'll fall for it, I'll ask the million dollar question, why her? I don't get it so come on tell me, why her? Why choose Tara?" His face was held in an angry snarl as he regarded her with cold eyes. "I know you're low, but this is like bottom of the stack low. Tara was a good person, you have no right to mess with her memory like this."

"Xander what?" The blonde raised a hand to her forehead and rubbed it briefly. "I think maybe I shouldn't have come, I should have waited until tomorrow, having just got back and all." She glanced nervously over her shoulder. "Yes." She nodded to herself. "I'll go, and come back when I'm less tired and…" She paused looking at him. "And m-m-maybe I'll call first…" She turned and took a slightly hesitant step backwards to the door into the safety of the hallway.

For a long moment Xander just let her turn and retreat, his angry mind tossing and turning over what the 'vision' had said before it froze.

"Back." He whispered, his dark eyes flicking up to look at the doorway. "Hey, hey wait!" He called hurrying to the door and when he reached it he looked down the corridor to see she was still retreating towards the elevator.

Tara stopped when she heard his footsteps. She turned back looking at him still apologetically, though she wasn't quite sure how she could be causing all this confusion.

"Did you say back?" He asked his voice sounding restricted in his throat.

"Yes." Tara nodded looking a little confused. "I just got back this morning, and I have to say things feel really strange." She admitted glancing around. "Even for Sunnydale."

"Holy shit, do you mean it?" Xander ran the short distance down the corridor down to the blonde. Remembering everything they had learnt about the First so far, that the images and visions it had produced had had no form nor physical presence, he reached out and almost roughly closed his hand around Tara's suede clad arm.

"Xander?" Tara turned and looked down at his hand frowning as his grip actually hurt slightly.

"Oh my God." His eyes went so wide it made the growing swelling on his cheek spike with pain.

Before Tara could blink she found herself wrapped up in strong thick arms that hugged her and held on too tightly.

"How… oh my God." Xander released her and stepped back only to pull her into another hug a fraction of a second later. Tara felt a left sided smile begin to creep onto her face, when suddenly Xander pushed her away again and stared at her. "No, wait a minute. How can you be back? Did someone one… God Dawn didn't…" He backed up a little, his dark eyes going wider still as the colour draining from his cheeks. He suddenly put distance between himself and the blonde.

"Xander what is it?" Tara asked her voice full of concern. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder just in case something was behind them that could have been the cause of Xander changing so quickly. "Xander please, you're scaring me. You look like you've seen a ghost." She frowned gently and moved forward extending her hand to comfort him.

"No, no you're not a ghost, I know that with the squeezing and the hugging, but you could be a zombie, a brain eating zombie." Xander backed up more. "Or one of those things like in the high school, with the talisman. Where is it, where's the talisman?" He glanced around the empty corridor.

"Brain eating Zombie?" Tara looked down at herself with a frown. She had thought the chic suede jacket she was wearing and the lace up purple jeans underneath it made her look rather nice. "Talisman, high school? The Hellmouth High re-opened?" She shook her head confused as she tried to piece together what he was saying.

"Or maybe you're something new, some kind of girl on girl loving Hellmouth fiend?" Xander looked up his eyes wild.

"Xander please." Tara felt herself blushing hotly. "Look is Anya here, maybe she'll make just a little more sense than you are right now. I find myself hoping that it's not marriage that's done this to you." She tried the joke softly hoping it would have at least some kind of effect on the obviously panicking figure in front of her.

"Anya?" Tara's words did change Xander's reaction considerably, when her words actually filtered through to his brain. "Marriage?" He asked again.

"Look I really am sorry about missing that…" Tara bit her lip slightly and tried an apologetic smile. "I was going to call, you know, I sent a card and everything but I just couldn't be there. Not with Willow and I both being, you know, in the wedding party and everything." She shook her head. "I'm really sorry." She added quieter. "I'm sure it didn't spoil the day."

Xander's mania seemed to ebb a little as Tara's speech went on, he straightened up and looked at his visitor with a curious but gentle frown.

"Tara there was no wedding," Xander said slowly. "Well there was, that is people and wedding things were there but I backed out, last minute, after considerable wacky demon things going on that is." He explained the basics to her and watched the very real pained and sympathetic frown that creased Tara's brow as he spoke. "But Tara." He added smiling at her very typical gentle offer of condolence. "You were there."

-x-

Less than ten minutes later the carpenter and the Wicca were sat on chairs opposite each other in the apartment almost as if facing off for some high-strung political commentary show on CNN. Each cradled a mug of coffee in their hands, both looking slightly pale and uneasy. Tara was still wrapped in her suede and Xander was still barefoot and shell shocked.

"So you weren't at the wedding?" Xander said slowly looking up from examining the contents of his cup.

"I left Sunnydale after the spell… the crystal. I moved out of the house and then about a week, maybe a little longer I left. First I stayed with a friend in Oregon and then I travelled a little. I went to Europe you know, trying to sort my head out, deciding what I wanted, what I was going to do with my life." Tara shook her head making an attempt to meet his eyes. "It took a while, a long while, but nearly a year after I left I knew it was time to come back. I flew in from Florence today." She leaned forward and put her coffee down on the table.

Xander sat silently looking at Tara for a moment not sure what to make of either her presence or her story. She certainly looked like Tara. After all who else, apart from Willow, would put purple jeans, Dr. Martin boots, a brown suede jacket and a rainbow-striped hat together? She spoke like Tara, her words coming in that quiet slightly reserved almost apologetic tone, and her words carefully chosen for clarity and yet information.

'The problem is if I believe what she's saying than it means.' Xander argued with himself. 'No!' His brain couldn't even process what that would mean.

Xander knew at that moment, if he wasn't sure earlier, that he was way out of his depth. He had to call out bigger, stronger, more capable guns here. The only question was, who?

"Xander I'm sorry." Tara's soft tone brought the carpenter out of his thoughts and by the time he looked up at his visitor she had stood up and the soft muted coloured hat was placed gently back on her head pressing down her long blonde hair so it flowed over her shoulders. "Maybe I shouldn't have come back." She took a little step away from the chair.

This wasn't at all how she had imagined returning to Sunnydale was going to be. Yes, she had been prepared for awkward, after all a year was a long time and a lot of things could happen. Yes, she had been prepared for anger, after all she had sent no word, only the card to the wedding that hadn't happened, she'd not even sent birthday or Christmas greetings. She had even been prepared for out right rejection, the fact that they might not want to see her, especially after so long and after the way she had just gone, without word, even to Buffy or Dawn. But Tara was not prepared for this. Not for complete and utter confusion, mystification and she had to acknowledge, fear.

"Tara, no wait!" He called putting his cup down, spilling most of it over the polished surface as he jumped up after her.

"It's okay." Tara stopped and turned back to look at him. "This was a bad idea, I shouldn't have expected to just walk back in here and everyone to be okay." She held up her hand warning him back a little, her voice sad and tired. She paused and linked sorrowful blue eyes with brown. "I'm sorry, I understand really I do." She said in little more than a whisper as she broke the eye contact and turned to leave.

"Tara no." Xander hurried after her despite her objection. "You don't understand." He shook his head quickly as he darted round in front of her baring her way to the front door. "You really don't understand." He stressed looking at her. He could see the confusion and hurt in her eyes, as well as the almost overwhelming tiredness. "Please." He dropped his voice slightly lower. "Come and sit down, maybe have a nap or something. You look beat." He offered her a warm smile.

"Long flight, hate planes." Tara admitted feeling herself waiver slightly in her determination to leave. That was until she looked up and caught a glimpse of a photograph of Xander, Buffy and Willow together hung up on the wall just beside the door. "But I shouldn't be here, I didn't want to put you in a difficult position." She shook her head, her resolve returning.

"Tara please, there are things I need to explain." He tried again. "Rest up a bit, take a shower, just chill for a while." He offered. "Just stay here." He re-stated. "I need to do a couple of things but then, then we'll talk, we'll sort things out. Come on Tara, you're done in and I have a great and comfortable apartment." He gave her a cheesy smile.

Tara took a breath and looked at Xander for a long moment, her head tilted slightly in contemplation.

"Okay, I'll stay, for a little while, a few hours." She conceded. "The lure of your comfy corner couch is just too much." She smiled at him seeing a flicker of the Xander she knew, the man who wanted to do his best to make everything right in the world.

"No one can resist the corner couch." He smiled back. "You okay if I pop out. I promise I won't be long." He pointed over his shoulder at the door.

"I'm fine, though don't blame me if I fall asleep while you're gone." Tara shook her head and took off her hand and unfastened her coat, slipping it off her shoulders she folded it carefully in half.

Xander stood silently watching as the blonde neatly laid her coat on the floor and stood back up to straighten out her jeans and the light pink top she wore. He tried not to stare as she walked over to drop lightly on the couch.

'She's got thinner, quite a lot thinner.' He thought as he watched her, noticing the change in her body shape as he compared her to the memory in his head. 'And her hair is a lot longer and lighter than it had been the last time…' His thoughts stopped in his head. They made his brain hurt. He so had to get someone else over here.

"Make yourself comfortable." He bid her as he crossed to the door picking up his keys and his coat off the peg as he backtracked. "Help yourself to anything in the kitchen."

"Thank you Xander." Tara called back pushing lightly off the couch to reclaim her recently abandoned coffee.

"I'll be right back." He nodded and slipped out.

-x-

"And everyone stops and smiles as the Xan-man enters the house." Xander announced trying to be as normal as he could as he arrived at the Summers house.

From the bottom of the front drive he had heard the constant low level dim of young women arguing and he knew that this wasn't going to be an easy task. Now as he pushed open the front to what looked like a mini war zone, he was more than sure.

"Yeah I'm smiling, I'm so smiling." Buffy stamped by him throwing comics at the huddle figure of Andrew on the couch. The geek whimpered a little and clutched them to his chest, checking to see if any of them had been damaged in the Slayer's tirade. "I need you to go shopping again, they've eaten everything but the grout out of the tiling." The Slayer growled in the carpenter's direction.

"Actually Buffy…" Xander winced slightly as he watched her stomp off towards the stairs. "Can the shopping wait?"

"Not really." She turned to glare at him but something made her stop. "Xander what's wrong?" She saw the familiar look of mixed fear and anxiousness in his eyes.

"I..." He glanced around as two SIT's walked by bickering, none too gently pushing past Buffy to go up the stairs. "Can we slip outside." He pleaded with her trying to push through her agitation.

"This better be really good." Buffy scowled after the SIT's and then followed him out to the porch.

"Well, I don't know how to categorize it really." Xander beckoned her further from the house wanting to ensure the only two people to catch the conversation were Buffy and himself.

"We have three categories right now... The First... the crazy potentials or other world ending news. Which is it?" She slowly followed him all the way out to the sidewalk his hesitation making her give an aggravated sigh.

"Other, I think." He replied uncomfortably having glanced down the street for a moment before answering.

"Xander…" Buffy looked over her shoulder at the house with a frown. "They are killing each other in my house for fun so do you want to spit this out?"

"I have a house guest." He shifted edgily. "Well no, not a house guest, I have a someone at my house."

"Xander if this is about your love life I really don't think that it needs to involve me right now." She stated as she fixed him with a hard stare. "I will go out and buy you celebratory drinks and meet her right after I save the world, but right now I need to rescue my bathroom." She turned to go back towards the house.

"Buffy I really need you to come to my apartment, like now!" Xander blurted out his voice taking on a slightly panicky edge.

"I don't have time for this." Buffy shook her head she continued back up the front walk.

"Buffy please, you _**have**_ to have time for this." He reached out and took her arm as tightly as he dared to.

For a moment Buffy just stared at Xander's hand around her arm. Her eyes angry and full of annoyance but she drew in a tight breath and looked at her old friend giving him the small birth.

"Fine, everyone else has lost their bloody minds today why not you as well. Let's go, you've got one hour." She pulled her arm back.

Xander didn't say anything else as they got into his car and he drove them the short distance to his apartment building. It was only once he had pulled his car into its designated parking spot that he pried his hands off the wheel and turned to Buffy.

"We going up?" She questioned him when he turned but didn't seem to be moving out of the car.

"I think I need to tell you who's up there before we go up there." Xander pulled lightly at the front of his shirt.

"If you have an uber vamp trapped in your closet it's not my problem." Buffy tried to get him to tell her with a little of the sadistic humour he liked.

"No." He swallowed hard.

"Xander, come on what the hell is going on?" She pushed him harder, Xander could be flaky but this wasn't Xander's style in the slightest to be outright insane.

"Tara." He mumbled putting his head down.

For a heartbeat Buffy didn't say anything, and when she did her words were proceeded by a short harsh laugh.

"Wow Xander that sounded a lot like the name of a person who if she is in your apartment you've just delivered me to the First. You switched sides suddenly and decided the great all powerful evil needed a gift wrapped Slayer?" Buffy looked at him with cold eyes.

"No." Xander stated almost angrily. "I thought exactly what you did." He looked up and pointed at her. "I thought it was the First, I'm not stupid."

"You're hurting my brain, who is in your apartment?" She swatted his hand away.

"Tara!" He stated again this time without mumbling or putting his head down. "Maybe a Tara clone?" He made a second guess his voice more uncertain.

"You're trying to tell me that Tara, Tara Maclay, girlfriend of Willow, is upstairs in your apartment?" Buffy checked the details before adding in a less than strong voice. "Xander she's dead."

"Buffy, all I know if that there is a girl in my apartment, she looks like, sounds like, acts like Tara. Add to that the fact she has never been to her knowledge dead and my brain is hurting too." Xander shook his head trying to show he understood it less that the Slayer.

"We buried her." Buffy pointed out staring at him in disbelief.

"You need to see her Buffy, to talk to her, something's odd here and it doesn't add up." Xander pleaded with her.

"Let's go see the Tara clone or The First," Buffy sighed and pushed out of the car slamming the door hard behind her making the whole car rattle back and forth with the force. "Might be the quickest ending to a world apocalypse, for me at any rate because there's not a lot I can do about it if you 'house guest' rips my head off." She growled pushing off towards the building.

Feeling his stomach fall even further Xander followed her and rushed ahead to open the building's security door.

-x-

His hand shaking slightly as he opened the front door, Xander swallowed and eased the door inside. Part of him was completely terrified at what horrible thing he might find inside, though he wasn't actually sure what he classed as horrible.

If he opened the door to find the place gutted and trashed with an apocalyptic message scrawled on the wall in blood maybe that would be terrible but at least that would clear up the First issue.

Then again if he opened the door and the apartment was empty it would clarify that he was going completely insane and would be the next one to spend a few days tied to a chair under day and night watch.

"So where are you hiding your Tara..." Buffy pushed past him wanting to get this over with quickly before she had to drag Xander home and tie him to a chair. "Clone?" She stopped her voice seizing in her throat.

Xander hadn't realized he hadn't actually looked up until he felt Buffy push by him and heard her voice crack. The uncommon noise made him raise his head.

The apparent was perfect, even the two coffee cups had been moved off the table and tidied away to leave a figure curled up on the corner couch sleeping soundly. The figure was Tara, dressed almost just as he'd left her though she had taken off the heavy black Docs and was curled up into a loose foetal shape on the sofa.

"It has to be the First." Buffy whispered in an icy hiss as she started to slowly move forward her arm extending. "It can't be..." She moved closer and closer leaning to reach her hand and close it over Tara's leg.

The slim figure sleeping on the couch tensed instantly her breath catching in her throat when she felt the hard grip.

"Oh my God." Buffy pulled back when her hand closed around real flesh and didn't pass through the apparition. She was pinned to her spot when blue eyes blinked open and focused past her onto Xander.

"Oh Xander I'm sorry I..." Tara stopped as her gaze shifted to take in the Slayer who stood stock still by the side of the couch. "Buffy." She whispered a well of emotion rising when she saw the blonde.

"Who are you?" Buffy's voice shook as her eyes locked with blue ones.

"W-W-What?" Tara's sleepy brow crumpled slightly in confusion. "Buffy?" She shook her head.

"Who are you?" The Slayer repeated the question.

"Buffy, I know I've been away for nearly a year, but..." Tara stopped. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She frowned and titled her head to appraise the look she was getting.

"Because we buried you." Buffy felt the words slip out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"What?" If Tara had been standing up she would have fallen over, the fact that she was still lying down saved her from that particular embarrassment.

"You died, he shot you." Buffy filled in the cold details.

"Died?" Tara heard her voice shake.

"How can you not know any of this?" Buffy questioned back.

"This is why isn't it?" Tara suddenly looked at Xander. "Why you said what you said, why you went out?"

"Tara, I know you said you were in Europe and I didn't want to say anything. I couldn't tell you that here in Sunnydale you died." Xander tried to explain what little he could.

"I didn't just say I was in Europe I've been in Europe. I flew in this morning from Florence." With a shaking hand she reached into the back pocket of her purple jeans and pulled out a badly creased boarding pass. "Buffy I left Sunnydale eleven months ago." She turned pleading eyes back to Buffy.

"When exactly?" Buffy pressed for the small detail.

"W-W-Willow..." She stopped and swallowed. "There was a spell." She felt herself choke up, unable to say exactly what had caused her to leave. "You have to remember what she did." Tears sprung into blue eyes.

"I remember lots of spells Tara." Buffy stared the real emotion before her but not letting herself react to it. "Then she got clean and you came back to her and then..." She didn't finish as her own resolve broke a little.

"Clean?" Tara blinked her eyes free of tears. "Willow's clean?" She stared hard at the Slayer, the news both exciting her and breaking her heart at the same time. After all wasn't that exactly what she had wanted to come home to find? That her lover, the person that completed her was okay and better than that had controlled the one thing that had forced them to part.

"If you're really Tara then tell me what you said to me after my mother died." Buffy pushed her not answering the question.

Buffy's query threw the blonde for a moment and made her focus on what was actually happening once more.

"In the hospital?" She asked for the small clarification. "When I told you about my mother, when you asked whether it was sudden and I said it's always sudden?" She tried to piece together the right words to reflect the memory.

"Tell me something else only you would know." Buffy pushed her strength faltering a bit.

"Something only I would know?" Tara frowned trying to wrack her brain. "The night Willow and I first kissed, I gave her my grandmother's dolls eye crystal."

"Xander?" She looked at him for confirmation.

Xander nodded almost without actually moving his head, though he didn't look any more content.

"Buffy please, what's going on" Tara watched the interaction beginning to feel slightly ill at ease. "When you said I died, what do you mean?" She pushed up to sit.

"Warren shot you, through the bedroom window." Buffy felt a bitter taste in her throat as she spoke the words.

"I… I don't understand." Tara pressed her hand into her forehead. "Buffy I swear to you, I left Sunnydale eleven months ago."

"You say you left after the memory spell?" Buffy cautiously moved over and sat on the end of the couch.

"Yes." Tara nodded again. "I moved out, it was horrible. Dawn wouldn't speak to me, you didn't know what to say, I couldn't even look at Willow." She shivered. "I couldn't be here like that." She shook her head. "All my life I've been in places that made me feel bad and this was my home, I needed to feel safe and wanted in my home." She explained her reasons as best as she could in this highly tense situation.

"It must have been the First, something the First made." Buffy reluctantly put two and two together, her stomach filling with a hard icy feeling as she worked things out. "It's been playing us for a year, that's how it knows us, how it knows what to taunt us with."

"The First? Who is the First?" Tara frowned more. "I swear to you Buffy I left here, I went to Oregon to stay with a friend and then to Europe. I've not been back to Sunnydale until today."

"Tara, this isn't going to make any sense." Buffy looked at her and took a breath. "But if what you're saying is true then for the last eleven months something was here living in your place, dying in your place."

"You mean I was never gone?" Tara looked between Buffy and Xander, she watched as the carpenter shook his head solemnly. "But… but that makes no sense." She pushed up from the couch and backed away from them slightly.

"You were distant, withdrawn but you came around when we needed you." Buffy filled in shaking her head.

"But... Dawn hated me, she wouldn't even say goodbye when I left the house." Tara shook her head. "You didn't want me around." She glared at the Slayer.

"The 'you' that was here made it up to Dawn, you two used to go out for shakes twice a week and movies." Buffy's voice was blank. "You helped me with the Spike thing and Willow... you forgave her."

"And then I was shot." Tara had turned deathly pale colour that peaked whiter when both Xander and Buffy gave a hard nod. "And Willow?" She swallowed as she asked the question, her body trembling.

"Someone murdered you Tara, you died in her arms." Buffy could bring herself to give a clear answer.

"What did she do?" Tara asked pointedly.

"She killed him." The Slayer tried to keep some volume in her voice. She had first cast a sideways glance at Xander to see that his mouth was all but sewed shut.

"The boy who shot me?" Tara felt her stomach twist painfully and it only got worse when the Slayer nodded. "Xander, I'm sorry I have to use your bathroom." She managed to inform them what she was doing before hurrying out.

"What do we do?" He asked in a hiss when she had left.

"Xander I just told her she died and Willow killed someone, give her a minute. I know I need one." Buffy put her hands up over her face as she leaned back on the couch.

"Yeah." The young man paced in front of the window. "Do you believe her?" He found he just couldn't keep silent.

"She's real, she looks like Tara, she sounds like Tara, she knows stuff Tara should know." Buffy leaned forward taking a deep breath. "I want to believe she's Tara because then she's alive."

"But it's not as simple as that is it?" Xander paced more. "Buffy, we buried Tara."

"Xander I know that!" She stood up snapping at him.

"Should we talk to Giles? Maybe there's some tests or something he can do on her. You know find out if she's real or something." Xander suggested reaching up to pull at his hair.

"Call him, but don't tell him." Buffy shooed him and headed down the hall.

-x-

"Tara?" Buffy knocked on the door to the bathroom.

"Just a moment."

There came as small scuffle from inside and the sound of the toilet flushing, then water being run in the sink and only then the soft click of the door being unlocked.

"Tara?" Buffy pushed it open slowly to see her sitting back on the tub edge. "Look I know I just blurted that out but you have to understand what we've been going through."

"Of course." She raised her hand to her lip nodded slightly. "It must have been terrible for you, I'm so sorry." She dropped her head in a classic Tara position.

"No, you see there's a new big evil in town called the First, as in the first evil. It can take the form of anyone deceased and it's killing off all the Slayer potentials before it takes out Faith and I to snuff the line." Buffy blurted it all out.

"Slayer potentials?" Tara frowned trying to keep up.

"The girls who would be called when Faith and I die, the First's eyeless demons have already knocked off most of them. The last few left are shacked up at my house." She crouched down so she was eye to eye with Tara.

"I'm sorry I had no idea what things were like here. I ... I just thought it was time to come home." Tara looked up into Buffy's eyes.

"It is." Buffy nodded.

"No, no it isn't." Tara shook her head.

"Tara, I have no right to say this but Willow needs you. She's fighting so hard to keep her magic in check and she's so lost without you." The Slayer sighed. "She's not Willow anymore, she's like she's empty, vacant, just trying so hard to go through the motions but she's not alive."

"But, I shouldn't be here." Tara shook her head. "I died." The words came in a haunted tone.

"Tara, look at me." Buffy leaned forward and took the very warm, very real hands in her own. "If you were in Oregon or Florence or wherever, it wasn't you. You never died."

Tara had to stop herself crying the instant Buffy took her hands, it was the first contact they'd shared for so long and it said that at least Buffy wanted to believe she was who she said she was. That fact combined with everything she had just learnt and everything she was feeling inside before that made her just want to fall apart and cling to the strong Slayer for support.

"But something did." She stated shivering, refusing to give in and crumble.

"I know." Buffy nodded. "The First has powers, powers that we don't understand." She was honest, there was nothing else that she could be. "Xander called Giles, he might be able to help explain."

Tara merely nodded. What else could she say in a situation like this? What voice did a dead woman have?

**-x-**


	2. Chapter 2

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M ****Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Two.**

Giles staggered back a bit feeling the couch hit his calves and the comfort of a solid object made him sit down as he stared at the figure before him. Seeing the blonde Wicca at first had caused him to have the usual reaction. He'd gone through a very reserved concern that she was The First, asked a series of inane questions to see where she had been and what she had been doing, then the shock had settled in.

"I'm sorry... I just need a moment." He gave her a soft smile as he slowly pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his brow.

"I need to get a glass of water." Tara admitted and looked up at Xander, she was beginning to feel a little like a zoo animal or some kind of circus freak with everyone staring at her asking questions and then just staring some more. Of course she understood why they were like it, well no, she could piece together why they were like it, understanding exactly would come a lot further down the line, but still it didn't make her feel any better.

"Be my guest." The carpenter nodded that she should feel free to get one. He felt bad for the fact that he'd just sat and stared between the four of them all the time that Giles had performed his 'interview', but there was nothing else he felt he could do.

Tara softly pushed up from the couch and silently left the room and immediately Buffy pushed off from the windowsill where she was perched and looked at Giles.

"Well?" She asked of him, her voice clipped.

"The idea is incomprehensible." Giles tried to gain his composure.

"I know that but we have to comprehend it, so comprehend it and tell me how we can find out if it's true." Buffy pushed she paced lightly in front of the window, the heels of her boots tapping almost impossibly loudly on the polished wood floor. "How can we prove that that is Tara?" She looked at the Watcher desperate for him to have an answer.

"All of the conventional methods are useless, the autopsy performed on the..." He gulped. "I'm sure if there had been gross abnormalities they would have contacted someone."

"Was there an autopsy?" Xander said uncomfortably pulling at the front of his shirt, the material sticking to him and making him feel like he was choking. "I don't remember." He admitted, feeling green just thinking about it. "You know the bullet and the blood and everything, seemed kinda obvious how she, how it died."

"It was a murder investigation Xander, they had to do one. Why do you think we couldn't get her back to bury her for a week?" Buffy snapped at him feeling the tension in the room rise a notch higher.

"Please." Giles interrupted the pair, aware that they were both reacting to the situation in different ways and that those ways were enough to cause friction in themselves. "I think there is a spell. One that can at least confirm she is human, and isn't in fact a doppelganger." He pushed up to stand again.

"There is?" Buffy turned and looked at him the momentary anger at Xander forgotten as the Watcher offered a glimmer of hope.

"It's crude but it would be vaguely effective in this scenario." He nodded. "It was conceived many years ago when there were rampant fears that doppelgangers were being use to imitate important public figures. As I say crude but effective, designed to focus on a beings inner source." He stopped before he went into a lengthy explanation knowing that no one in the room was the slightest bit interested in a history lesson right now.

"It's not gonna hurt her is it?" Xander shifted uncomfortably in his place glancing at the kitchen door.

"No, no of course not. Mostly I walk around with a few things then point something akin to a divining rod at her, the basis of its reaction allows me to determine who and what she is. I'm afraid other than that there is no way to confidently confirm her identity." He paused momentarily and followed Xander's eyes to the door. "I think it is obvious that she believes that she is Tara Maclay, but then none of us for one moment thought the young lady that lived and died with us those short months ago was anything other than Tara Maclay." Giles finished then looked at them both.

"There must be something else we can do." Buffy sighed feeling tension and a thick swell of nausea build up inside her. "A way to check we can check her story out." Buffy felt herself clicking into research mode. "Tickets." She looked up proud that she had come up with something, "If she travelled a lot she must have bought tickets and tickets are traceable."

"She said she had tickets, we saw the plane one she had." Xander nodded catching on to Buffy's train of thought. "And we can check with her friend in Oregon, and she must have been staying with someone at least as a base in Europe, didn't she mention someone in Paris?" The carpenter's eyes were bright when the enthusiasm of the moment caught up with him.

"Exactly." Buffy nodded. "We can check dates and bank details we just need to know names and places. Giles…" She turned to the Watcher with a new sense of purpose. "Where do you have to be to do this spell?"

"I can do it here, I just need to pick up a few things." The Englishman replied with a short nod but then for an instant his face fell into a much darker, serious line. "Buffy…" He called for the Slayer's attention, his voice sombre. "What do we plan to do if we discover she isn't who she says she is?"

Buffy stopped in her tracks, the click of her boots ending ominously short as she turned and looked at him, all trace of light and hope gone from her features.

"Then we get rid of it, before it can hurt anyone." Buffy said with out hesitation, her hazel eyes dark and focused on nothing but Giles' brown ones. Her voice was cold, her tone almost clinical.

"Buffy!" Xander's gaze flicked between the two other people in the room, unable to comprehend the sudden shift in mood and thought.

"As long as we're agreed." Giles ignored Xander's horrified gasps and remained focused purely on Buffy.

"We're agreed." The Slayer didn't flinch in the slightest also ignoring Xander's objection.

"I'll be back as soon as I can with the spell ingredients. Try to confirm all you can in the meantime. I don't think I need to advise you that she shouldn't be allowed to leave." He tucked his handkerchief away and moved to the door.

"Giles." Buffy called as he reached the door, the watcher turned and looked at her.

"No one else finds out." She kept his eyes as she spoke.

"Of course not." He took a visible breath trying to steady himself as he pulled the door open and slipped out.

As the door closed behind the retreating watcher, Xander turned to Buffy and caught hold of her arm. He pulled her almost roughly over to the window, as far away as her could from the still closed kitchen door.

"Okay." He said rather breathlessly. "Just what the hell was that?" He hissed staring between the Slayer and the door.

"That was necessary." Buffy replied though the edge had slipped from her voice, she took a breath and looked up at her friend. "Xander I don't like this idea any more than you do but if that isn't Tara..." She hissed back her voice low. "Then we can't afford to get wishy washy and let the First get to us or Willow." She said the redhead's name even lower.

"But Buffy are you seriously suggesting we do a bit of research, Giles waggles a pointy stick at her and if it wiggles left she's Tara if it waggles right we kill her?" Xander squeaked appalled.

"If she's not Tara, then it, whatever it is, is not human." Buffy underlined the most important fact.

"She sure as hell looks human. You want me to stab her with a stick see if she bleeds." Xander scowled.

"Xander." Buffy snapped at him. She didn't like the though any more than her friend did, in fact right now she couldn't even begin to comprehend how they would deal with it if the tests, the research and the spell confirmed that she wasn't real. The very thought made her sick to the stomach. "We deal with that when we have to." She tried to order her own thoughts as well as give the carpenter something he could work around. "Look, why don't you order us something to eat? If she has just flown half way across the world, then she's going to be starved." Buffy began walking towards the kitchen.

Xander watched his friend move feeling his body shaking inside though when he looked down at his hands he saw them hanging firm in the air.

"I don't know if I can do this." He whispered as she neared the door.

"Remember you're big yellow crayon speech?" Buffy walked back over to him, her voice back to being low and hard. "Well guess what, its time to step up. We have to deal with this and we have to protect Willow from this, so suck it up and suck it up quick."

"But this is real, this is heavy." Xander felt his inside tighten more under Buffy's intense stare.

"I need you in this Xander." She softened her voice.

"But..." Xander began to object but felt all his arguments die in his throat. Buffy was right, they couldn't let anything hurt Willow, any of them and this, if this were a lie, would crush her. He took a breath and looked up at his friend. "You know…" He began with a sigh. "If she is Tara, the real Tara, there are a whole other bunch of issues."

"We can't think about those yet." Buffy shook her head and broke eye contact. "The first thing we have to do is figure out what she is. Then we can deal with telling Willow."

"One step at a time." Xander seemed to draw a little strength from somewhere as her straightened up and took a breath.

"Exactly." Buffy actually gave him a smile. "So get on the phone and do your pizza ordering thing." She turned towards the kitchen.

"What are you going to do?" He asked somewhat pensively as Buffy neared the door.

"Talk to her." The Slayer shrugged. "If she is Tara, she must think we've all gone insane."

-x-

"We're ordering pizza, any special requests? We could get that sausage and double pepperoni you used to like." She kept her voice light as she entered the kitchen letting the door swing closed behind her.

The blonde Wicca was stood in front of the kitchen window, her back turned to the Slayer. Her slim figure outlined by the dimming sunlight of the late afternoon. Her head was slightly dipped and one arm wrapped itself around her waist. The other tucked her hair repeatedly behind her ear.

"I know what you're doing." She whispered in a low sad voice.

"Doing?" Buffy faked ignorance as she hung in the doorway.

"The questions, M-M-Mr. Giles." Tara turned, her pale face streaked with tears. "The pizza." She said needlessly pushing her hair back again. "You're trying to find out who..." She stopped. "What I am." She felt a hard shiver hit her body as she spoke.

"I won't lie to you Tara, but you have to understand what this looks like from our perspective." Buffy took a few steps in and leaned against the counter. "You've been a Scooby long enough to know how our life is."

"I have." Tara nodded.

"Giles says there's a spell, he's going to get some stuff so he can confirm you're who you are." Buffy felt the hardness in her body drop as she continued looking at the blonde seeing her very real tears.

"I should save you all the trouble and just leave." Tara dropped the hand from around her waist and pushed at the tears on her cheek trying to steal herself some inner strength, after all it would be the right thing to do wouldn't it? To just leave again, to everyone here she was dead and gone anyway forever.

"Tara, don't you think we want it to be you?" Buffy interrupted her thoughts, "Trust me, there is nothing I want more at this moment. I want to just be able to look at you and think that maybe, just maybe with you back, then all of the shit that has happened since you…" She felt a lump lodge in her throat. "Tara I want to believe its you more than anything. But I have to_**know**_ it's you before I change the world." She took a breath and moved a little closer. "Tara the thought that you, the real you was never here, was never hurt that makes me…" She stopped again, "I can't tell you how good that feels inside." She shook her head.

"But if what I am saying is true, if I am Tara, and I have been away for the last eleven months, it means something worse doesn't it?" Tara revealed that she had indeed been a Scooby long enough to know the kind of things that happened to them, the kind of situations they found themselves in, the fact that every day their lives were about life and death not just for themselves but of the world.

"No, it doesn't mean worse, it just means supernatural and evil. We can deal with supernatural evil." Buffy shook her head. "We've dealt with it before."

"I don't want to make anything harder for any of you, that's not why I came back." Tara willed her voice not to crack as she made the sad admission.

"Tara, you not being here made things harder... you being dead made things impossible. You being here, being alive can only make things better." Buffy knew she should be keeping herself more in check but she couldn't. Ever word, every look just made her want to believe more and more that this was Tara Maclay.

"Why?" Tara shook her head. "What can I do? I was never the witch Willow was, I don't have the fighting skills that the rest of the gang do." She pointed out her weaknesses.

"We don't need a witch and we don't need a fighter." Buffy shook her head. "We need what you've always given us... stability. Tara…" She took a stiff breath. "You know how people say you never really know what you have until you don't have it any more? That's how it's been without you and it makes me feel sick to admit it because I so undervalued you when you were here but without you we're just a gang of individuals doing our best not to fall apart. You have no idea how bad it feels inside if you're real. To know that the First knew better than any of us did how important you were, are. Used our own ignorance against us."

Tara watched the obvious emotion play in Buffy's face. She pushed her hand into her pocket and pulled out the plane ticket she had shown them earlier and along with it a hotel key card.

"All my things are there." She tapped the card as she held it out.

"Do you want me to pick them up?" Buffy questioned a little bemused by the move after her emotional outburst.

"That's not what I'm taking about." Tara took a breath. "I kept receipt stubs and things like that, I always do. Well always since going out with Willow, we, we did things like that." She explained without really saying much. "Either you or Xander will find everything in my hold all, I think I dropped it on the bed." She continued. "Paulo, the friend in Paris, his number is in the pink address book in my purple square case, as is Sophie's." She glanced up to the ceiling trying to think of anything else she could tell the Slayer that would prove her story. "There are some photographs in there too, of Europe and things." She shook her head trying not to miss anything.

"I'll send Xander." The Slayer nodded.

"Of course." Tara lowered her eyes and slid the things onto a kitchen counter when Buffy didn't take them. She took a slightly staggered breath. "Do you want me to sit down, I don't know, tie me up or something?" Tara's voice shook as she made the offer her hand tracing subconsciously over her wrist as if she could already feel the ropes there.

"To be honest I've had to tie way to many people up lately." Buffy watched the blonde's actions and fought down a shiver. "We could go sit in the living room and you could tell me about Florence, did you go to the chapel?"

"Actually I'm really, really tired right now." Tara looked up shaking slightly more, she couldn't cope with Buffy being chatty and amiable. Especially as she was more than aware that if she or any of the others found anything they didn't like about her or her story then the Slayer would have to 'sort' something out. "Perhaps if I just curled up on the couch again?"

"Let me change the sheets on Xander's bed, there's no reason to not get some proper sleep." Buffy backed away under the sad glare, knowing full well that Tara knew exactly what the score was, the blonde had always been quiet but very quick to catch on to a situation.

"No, no, M-M-Mr. Giles will need me at least fairly awake for the spell." Tara shook her head. "The couch is fine." She wrapped her arm around herself again.

"I'll get you a blanket." Buffy nodded. "I'm sorry." She whispered slipping back out knowing that the small apology was far from good enough.

-x-

Giles had set the spell up trying to make as little fuss and disruption as possible. They had had to move some furniture around so that Tara was sat isolated in the centre of the room surrounded by a strange collection of artifacts and crystals. Dark green candles were lit at specific points around the room and thick smoke billowed from some burning herbs on a small silver platter near to the blonde's feet.

Giles slowly walked around the artifacts mumbling under his breath letting some dark powder slip from between his fingers as he walked the complex route over and over.

Buffy stood with Xander over to one side of the room watching everything that was going on with a curious eye. Xander had made it back before the Watcher with Tara's stuff and everything she had said so far checked out.

The large pile of receipts for everything from plane tickets to socks confirmed she'd been exactly where she said she had. Add to that the pictures and even newspaper clippings that she had gathered together in a large scrapbook, and it gave everyone a clear outline of exactly what this 'Tara' had done with the last eleven months of her life. The scrapbook that had obviously been designed to chart her journeys and provides points of reflection later in life now sought to prove she lived at all.

"That smoke's making her cough." Xander looked over at the blonde who was trying not to disturb anything, covering her coughs with her hand occasionally when they became too hard to ignore. "Does that mean she's an evil dopple-thingie." He hissed at Buffy.

"I don't know." Buffy shook her head. "Smoke makes anyone cough." She pointed out.

"There were presents." Xander whispered under his breath as they continued watching the spell. "For everyone, wrapped and everything."

"I know, so you told us." Buffy watched Giles as he made another lap.

"And…" Xander shifted uneasily in his place. "I found this." He added slipping Buffy something that up until now he had kept to himself.

It was a small navy envelope with the name 'Willow' written on the front in pastel pink pen. The name seeming to sound another bell of warning that they needed to figure out who she was as quickly as possible.

"We're not opening that unless the stick does the wonky." Buffy hissed at him snatching the envelope to keep it safe. She pressed it into the pocket of her dark jeans.

"Do you think it's her, I mean like really her?" Xander pushed the Slayer to make some kind of judgement.

"I want it to be her." Buffy's voice dropped softer as she admitted the truth. "Don't you?"

"Well yeah." Xander nodded but something in his eyes told the Slayer that he was lying.

What?" Buffy turned to him her eyes wide with alarm that maybe she was missing something glaringly obvious. "You don't think it's her?"

"No, it's not that, I mean no." Xander stumbled over his words. "It's just that, well, Willow." He pointed out his major concern.

"This is what Willow wants Xander, this is what she wants more than anything." Buffy whispered glancing over at Giles who seemed ready now to get to the important part of the spell.

"But she's moving on Buffy, all that work that she did in England, she's a different girl now." Xander argued to the contrary.

"What?" Buffy couldn't help but show her surprise in the carpenter's words. "Have you ever talked to her about Tara since the whole blow up the world thing?" She questioned him her voice too low for the others to hear. "Have you even heard her say her name? Seen her cry? She went to England to get the magic in control. Getting over Tara has not happened, moving on has not happened." She took a shallow breath. "For Christ-sake she turned into Warren to punish herself just last week."

"Yeah but maybe, you know with Kennedy." Xander queried finally saying the SIT's name.

"Kennedy is only an issue because Tara was dead." Buffy spelled out the situation as she saw it. "And if she is Tara, Kennedy doesn't stand a chance."

"I just want the best for Will, she can't deal with much more, you know that Buffy." Xander said sadly.

Buffy was about to respond when she saw Giles begin a tentative approach towards Tara with the two foot long gnarled stick he had carefully unpacked from within an aged wicker box. When the Watcher within range of the blonde, the tip of the stick centimetres form her nose, he released the end of it that he was holding. Buffy felt her breath catch in her chest as she watched mesmerised.

For a second the divining rod wobbled in the air and then hung perfectly horizontally in its place supported by nothing. Giles stepped back looking at Tara and the stick. Buffy watched not so much amazed by the fact that it was floating in mid air, but by the fact that once it became stable it didn't waiver one millimetre.

"She's her isn't she?" The Slayer whispered the question to the Watcher still not having took a real breath.

"Xander the candles." Giles pointed over to the pair of them stepping back forwards taking the end of the stick in his hand again.

"Blow them out?" Xander moved over to the closest one.

"Yes." Giles nodded.

Quickly he extinguished the flame and moved around to the others. The instant the first flame was out the stick dropped into the Watcher's hand.

"Giles?" Buffy pushed again for an answer when none was forth coming.

The Watcher bent down and picked up the ash filled silver plate and carried them out of the way over to Buffy.

"That young lady is Tara Maclay." He whispered in Buffy's ear as he moved through to put the things in the kitchen.

Buffy wasn't sure if the words made her feel like her body was a million pounds heavy or that she felt as light as air.

"Tara." She spoke the blonde's name as she walked tentatively closer.

Tara turned just her head to look at Buffy, tears streaked her pale cheeks. The Slayer couldn't decide if they were from relief or if they might have just been a result of the smoke.

Without another word the Slayer felt something inside her break and in two quick steps she was at the side of the chair, dropping down on her knees so that she could lean forward and throw her head into Tara's lap.

"Tara." A thick sob broke out of her body.

The blonde Wicca drew in a long breath and pressed her hands down over the back of Buffy's head stroking her long fingers through the shorter blonde locks.

"I'm so sorry." Buffy gasped between sobs.

"I understand, it's all right." Tara whispered, never stopping the soft motion of her hand.

Xander somewhat awkwardly picked up the candles and the strange orange coloured glass ball that Buffy's foot was close to destroying and slipped off after Giles.

"I'm sorry... I just..." Buffy lifted her head after a long time. "I can't believe it's you."

"I knew I should have cut my hair, those extra three inches make all the difference." Tara tried to smile, but it was obviously hard.

"It's beautiful, makes you look all international." Buffy wiped at her cheeks trying to compose herself.

"The coat is from England." She reached out and bravely caught a tear on the pad of her thumb and brushed it from the Slayer's cheek.

"It's perfect for you." The Slayer nodded.

"I don't have to stay Buffy, not if it makes things harder." Tara said softly, now that the issue of her identity had been cleared up the Wicca wanted Buffy to know that her offer to disappear still stood, understand that it was an unconditional one based on what was best for them all.

"No, no." Buffy shook her head instantly. "We need you... Willow needs you." The Slayer's last three words were almost a whisper.

"I need her too." Tara's reserve broke as she had so far managed to steer clear of mentioning her ex-lover. The blonde's brave façade crumpled and heavy tears fell from blue eyes.

"I can call her, get her here." Buffy pulled up higher on her knees.

"Doesn't she... won't you need to talk to her?" Tara desperately wanted to accept Buffy's offer without thought or question, but she couldn't, not after what they had just had to go through, not after what had obviously happened in her absence.

"Tara, I don't know the right way to do this." The Slayer shook her head. There didn't seem an easy way to slide this into a conversation.

"I don't know what to say." Tara admitted shaking her head back. "In all my coming back scenarios, this never came up." She admitted tearfully.

"Do you still love her?" Buffy asked the serious important question of the moment.

"More than anything." Tara replied without hesitation.

"Those are the only three words she needs to hear... thinking she had lost you... losing you... it hurt her so much." Buffy whispered the last part realizing that even though Tara wasn't really dead, for them all it had been as if she was.

"My question of does she still love me, seems a little irrelevant somehow." Tara replied softly.

"You are still her everything." Buffy nodded instantly.

"When..." Tara hesitated. "When did you lose me, the other me?" She shook her head trying to get her head around the facts and details.

"May." Buffy sat back on her legs.

"I..." Tara stopped, unsure of exactly what to say, she was saved from having to make any decision when Xander came back into the sitting room.

"Buffy, sorry." He stated hovering a little way back. "That was Dawn on the phone."

"What's up?" Buffy pushed up to stand trying to regain her composure.

"Apparently a group of the SIT's have taken off, something about patrolling." Xander winced as he reported the news.

"Can't I leave the house for more than a few hours without them all growing brass balls." Buffy cursed as she moved over for her jacket. "Tara, I have to go... these girls can't fight to save their lives, literally. Do you want to get a few hours sleep and I'll bring Willow by later?" She questioned slipping on her jacket.

"Whatever you think is best." Tara watched the Slayer move a little thrown by the sudden activity. "I could go back to the hotel."

"No, I changed the sheets. Consider this your new home, we can't have you at a motel." Xander shook his head.

"Thank you." Tara turned and smiled gratefully at him, it was nice to have him look at her without that trace of fear in his dark eyes.

"No worries, I put some candles in there too and towels in the bathroom if you want to have a shower." He pointed back to the hall and doorway.

"I'll see you both in a few hours." Buffy smiled at Xander who she could see was trying so hard. She headed out the door though knowing she needed to get home. The last thing she needed was any of the SIT's getting into a situation they couldn't handle right now.

"Buffy." Giles called running after her as she hurried down the hall making her stop after she had hit the call button. "We need to talk, about what happens next." She said seriously as the elevator doors slid open.

"We've already got a next, I'm bringing Willow back once I round up the rogue SIT's and tuck them back in the house." Buffy spelled it out putting her hand back to hold the door open.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Giles stepped into the lift with her letting her release the door.

"Giles, that's Tara. We have to tell Willow." She hit the button for the ground floor.

"Of course, but..." Giles shifted awkwardly.

"But what?" Buffy watched the change in his move and pushed for him to tell her what was going on in his head.

"How do you intend to tell her?" He asked. "How do you intend to explain to her that The First, as we assume this was, used a shadow of Tara to infiltrate our circle, to learn all it could about us and then to find out how far and how much power she possessed?" He sighed heavily. "We can only guess at the motives here Buffy."

"We know the First motive Giles, it wants to drive us all crazy and kill us." She nearly snapped at him but she managed to keep her voice in check. "What it wanted to do, what it did to us to propel this crazy plan it has isn't the issue right now. The issue for Tara and Willow right now is that Tara isn't dead and Willow needs to know that." She let her voice fall. "Giles we're losing her, you know that even better than I do. She's not herself and it's not the magic anymore, she's got that under control."

"When do you plan on telling her?" Giles saw that Buffy wasn't going to be moved.

"The SIT's are roaming wild, I have to round them up first then I'll bring her back with me." She filled him in. "I'll try to prep her all I can."

"I'll try and do some background, into exactly what it was that The First did." Giles nodded. "Be careful Buffy." He urged her knowing just how dangerous things were out there right now.

"Giles..." Buffy stopped as the door opened as she stepped out but held it open. The watcher looked up at her expectantly. "If the First replaced her, did all this... it can't have expected her to come back to town. It can't expect us to know what it's been up too." She filled in, her more strategic mind coming to life.

"Are you thinking in someway this helps us?" Giles frowned slightly.

"Anything that we know and the first doesn't, helps us." Buffy nodded. "What we need to figure out is how it does."

It hadn't been the disaster it could have been for the Slayer, rounding up the SIT's proved to be fairly easy and they had between them actually managed to both stay alive and bag a couple of vamps before she'd found them wandering down main street. That hadn't meant that Buffy didn't give them all a lecture about safety and sensible planning, but all in all it hadn't been that bad. Now everyone was back at the house, with Anya and Dawn watching over the group. This fact had helped Buffy greatly as it meant that she and Willow had been able to slip away without concern or question.

'Though it was more like Anya and Dawn just being part of the hyped up crowd, but hey at least they should be sorted for the night.' Buffy thought to herself with a sigh. 'I just hope they keep it together long enough for me to get Willow to Xander's.'

The pair had gone a long way in silence. Each wrapped in their individual thoughts. Buffy's stomach was turning and churning inside her, while at the same time her head was filled with a feeling of elation and hope like none other she'd felt for the last seven months at least.

A few feet beside the Slayer, Willow wrapped her arms around her body shaking out her hair in the slight wind as followed what seemed to be the aimless path her friend was walking.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly noting how the whole night the Slayer had been very distracted.

"Yeah, I can't believe the SIT's." Buffy shook her head. "You'd have thought enough of them had..." Her voice trailed off. "Well you know, for it to have sunk in a bit by now."

"Me too." Willow nodded sadly. "I guess they figure if they get in the game they'll have a better chance of surviving. I know for one that Kennedy is eager to get things going."

"How you doing?" The Slayer asked gently, her mind racing over anything but the SIT's group death wish.

"Who me?" Willow shrugged lightly. "I'm okay." She gave the unconvincing answer.

"Do I get any details with that okay?" Buffy pushed softly.

"There aren't many to give." The redhead shifted her arms. "Just focusing on finding out info on The First."

"I meant more after last week." Buffy tried to find out some specifics.

"Oh." Willow looked down a little. "Better I guess, not turning myself into my own murder victim again." She gave an agitated laugh. "Though if I see Amy again I might be forced to threaten to re-rat her." The comment gave the Slayer a glimpse of the old Willow and she laughed genuinely before she took a slight breath.

"And Kennedy?" She asked more because it fitted with their topic of conversation than because she actually classed it as an issue.

"I…" Willow shook her head. "I don't know Buffy." She admitted. "Something doesn't…" She stopped again. "Do you mind if I don't answer that?" She concluded looking away.

"No problem." Buffy slid her hands into the pockets of her pants. "You haven't asked where we're going." She pointed out as they walked on.

"Where are we going?" Willow looked up at the crossroads ahead orienting herself to the location.

"To Xander's." Buffy replied trying to kept her voice even. "Because I need to talk to you." She added quickly and watched as Willow shook out her hair again looking at the Slayer waiting for her to continue. "Will." Buffy began but stopped taking a deep breath. "Something happened today." She tried to find a way to say this again. "Something that changes some things." She added watching Willow carefully.

"What? Did the First come out of hibernation?" Willow blinked a flash of worry settling on her face.

"No, no not that." Buffy shook her head. "But it is to do with the First."

"Did you find out something?" Willow questioned again.

"Kinda." Buffy led Willow gently towards a bench close to the sidewalk. "Wanna sit for a minute?"

"Buffy, if this is about the hex... I sorted it. I told you I would." Willow instantly went on the defensive.

"It's not about the hex." Buffy shook her head and sat down. "Please." She patted the wood beside her and a little reluctantly Willow eased down. "Will, the thing, that happened today." She found herself pausing a lot between words, as if trying to order them in her mind. "It's made us see, that…" She took another long pause. "That the things that have happened in the last months, the last year, haven't exactly been." She paused again feeling the weight of the silence moments sitting heavier on her. "Real." She concluded.

"Buffy, you're not making any sense." The redhead stared at the Slayer and rather obviously reached out putting her hand on Buffy's arm to test that she was real.

"I'm me." Buffy assured her as she felt the small hand close over her arm.

"I still don't understand." The redhead pulled her hand back.

"Willow I have something really important, but really unbelievable to tell you." Buffy took a deep breath. "And I need you to know that before telling you Xander, Giles and I have done everything to make sure that what I am going to tell you is the truth." She tried to make it clearer. "You following me so far?"

"I guess." Willow watched her carefully still not at all understanding what is going on. "Not really."

"When we get to Xander's." Buffy glanced down to the apartment block at the bottom of the road. "I'm going to take you up to his apartment." She bit her lip a little but carried on. "And…"

"And?" Willow pushed her not enjoying the tension in the air that was rising by the second or that Buffy reached out and the Slayer's hand rested on her knee.

"And Tara's gonna be there." She whispered slowly.

The five simple words, strung together to make the sentence made every feature on Willow's face fall instantly.

"That's not funny." She pulled away coldly before standing up.

"Will." Buffy jumped up. "Willow." She reached out catching hold of Willow's coat, trying to turn her round to face her.

"Is this some sort of sick test? A check to see if I start floating and burning the block down." Willow turned around angry.

In an uncontrolled reaction Buffy released her best friend's arm and took a step back, shaking her head.

"I wouldn't do that to you Willow." She underlined softly.

"Then why?" Willow whimpered a little. "Why are you saying this?"

"I'm saying this because it's true." Buffy continued. "I didn't believe it either, when Xander came and got me this afternoon, but Willow, she's there." She hated the look in Willow's eyes but had to continue. "She left Sunnydale, after the spell you cast on us all, the memory spell that made us all forget everything. She moved out of the house and then a week later she left Sunnydale. She's been gone over eleven months."

"But..." Willow tried to process what she was being told as her breath started to come faster, whistling into her dry body to make her already dizzy head swim more.

"She went to a friend, Sophie." Buffy remembered the name to see if Willow had ever heard of her to see if it would make her at least focus a little. The way green eyes were darting around made her edgy and uncertain that the redhead could handle what she was hearing.

"Sophie Elm, her friend in Oregon?" Willow answered immediately.

"And then to Europe, she had a friend in Paris she used as a base." Buffy nodded quickly.

"Who? Jamie?" Willow didn't real internalize what she was being told. "Oh no, he moved to Brussels. It must have been Paulo." She stepped back sitting down again. "She used to have lots of friends." Her voice was tiny.

"She has lots of friends." Buffy sank to her knees on the floor in front of the bench. "Giles is trying to figure out what happened but we think that some how the First knew about you and Tara, and then when she left it saw the perfect opportunity to move in." She explained quickly, there was no need to focus on this aspect of things now. "We think it, it replaced her some how, with a clone, a doppelganger or a shadow as Giles called it. So that it could learn things about us, find out our weaknesses, test us, hurt us."

"Tara's not dead?" Willow looked down into Buffy's eyes her own wild and filled with tears.

The plea made Buffy stop her hasty explanation and as she looked up into her best friend's eyes she realized for the first time Willow understood, really understood what she was saying.

"She's not dead." She stated with a teary smile as Willow latched onto the main point of her statement.

"She's at Xander's?" Willow's body started to shake.

"Just down there." Buffy clasped her hands over Willow's and nodded with her head.

Willow squeezed Buffy's hand for a moment before she broke away running full out the short distance down to the building. It took Buffy a moment to catch up with the fact that Willow had moved, she blinked and pushed up from her place on the floor and fled after her.

"TARA!" Willow screamed racing into the lobby and banging on the elevator button to call the lift. When it didn't immediately come, she ran to the side stairs and raced up the three flights to Xander's floor.

"TARA!" She screamed again feeling tears burning down out of her eyes as she reached her best friend's door and flung it open, the heavy wood rattling back on its hinges.

"Tara?" She looked around at Xander and Giles' shocked faces. "Where is she?" She threw the words at them daring them to not lie.

Xander blinked somewhat stupidly and then pointed at the bedroom door. Following the line that his finger created, Willow moved without another word over to it and flung it open.

All of her energy and provocation came to a hard stall as her gaze fell on the blonde who lay asleep, looking small and fragile in Xander's bed. Her hair was fanned out on the pillow behind her turned head, her pale pink lips slightly open as she breathed slowly during her slumber.

"Baby?" Willow whispered her chest rising and falling hard with each emotional breath.

With a soft moan Tara turned in the bed, disturbed both by the noise and the streak of bright light that seem to flood the room from the door. She raised a sleepy hand to her head and rubbed it across both eyes before they fluttered open.

"Baby?" Willow whispered again as she watched the sleeping beauty before her wake up just like she would in the fairy tales she had read during her childhood.

"Willow?" The name slipped from between Tara's lips in a sleep filled whisper as she pushed herself up in the large bed, blinking the figure framed in the doorway into focus.

"Tara." The redhead spoke the name as she stepped shakily closer not able to believe her eyes. She hadn't even dared to dream this could be possible.

"Willow." The blonde saw red hair lit by the living room light, and instantly she threw back the cover and pushed her sleepy aching body out of the bed.

"Baby..." Willow's arms shook as they rose a little beckoning the blonde to come to her.

It took less than a step for Tara to be in reaching distance of Willow, a step that the blonde made quickly and decisively, her arms closing around the slender red head without a trace of hesitation. When Tara was close enough Willow collapsed against her, the hard tears she'd been holding back breaking free when she felt the blonde's warm familiar arms around her. Her hard sobbing gasps filling her nose and lungs with the damp taste of Tara, making her know this wasn't a ghost or a dream.

Tara closed one hand over the side of Willow's head lightly, the other went to wrap around her waist to hold them together as she placed kiss after kiss onto soft red hair.

"Shush sweetie." She whispered over and over. "It's okay." She rocked her gently.

"You're alive." Willow sobbed the strength running out of her legs as she started to sink in the grasp her arms still clinging to the blonde's body.

"Willow..." Tara slid too, not expecting nor able to cope with the sudden change. She gracelessly and somewhat painfully sunk to the floor with Willow partially in her lap. "I'm right here." She gathered Willow to her as best she could.

"I thought I'd lost you… I..." Willow couldn't even begin to speak as she sobbed pressing her body against the blonde's harder, wanting to crawl inside her and be free of the harsh painful world.

"I know sweetie I know." Tara rocked her over and over. "But I'm here now." She whispered knowing in no way did it make anything right or better instantly but unable not to say it if it might offer Willow any relief.

"Please don't ever leave me again." Willow sobbed leaning up to hug her closer, nestling her chin over Tara's shoulder as she had so often done in the past.

"I won't." Tara whispered shaking her head, rubbing Willow's back over and over. "I won't."

-x-


	3. Chapter 3

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Three.**

Anya poured the fifth bag of microwave popcorn into the enormous bowl preparing to bring it to the horde of SIT's watching videos in the living room.

"You know I think it is appalling that just because I don't have demon powers I get left to baby-sit as if that is the only task I am still suitable for." She grumbled turning to watch the last bag as it began to pop in the microwave. "Not that I mean you, as since I no longer own the shop you have nothing you can steal from me." She looked at Dawn who was putting ice in the dozen or so glasses lined up on the counter top.

"Anya please just get on with the popcorn." Dawn answered flatly.

"What do you think Willow and Buffy are doing out there?" She questioned shaking salt over the bowl. "I mean is it wise to leave all of them here alone, it's not like the Bringers can't just bust in the front door and kill them all."

"Patrolling maybe or maybe Willow needed something." Dawn played with the ice in the glass nearest to her. "I think Willow did some protection thing on the house."

"Well that's comforting." Anya spoke the words but it wasn't obvious if she meant them.

"Comforting?" Dawn sighed again. "We've still been abandoned. If they decide to jump ship the second time I'm not calling her again."

"I mean I know they haven't been around this as much as we have but even we have the sense not to go out when Buffy tells us." Anya agreed sticking up for the teenager. "I mean how many more of them have to be disemboweled before they get the picture."

"I don't know." Dawn shrugged. "Maybe to be a potential you have to be a little, you know, blind to the obvious."

"And be able to eat like a pig." Anya turned as the microwave beeped retrieving the steaming bag.

"We're going to need a bank loan." Dawn grumbled. "Or our own farm."

"Really the Council should be paying for this but I guess since they blew up there's not much of a chance of that." Anya nodded her displeasure. "And why do they think we're their waitresses?"

"Because they've been trained by the Council, you know how 'better than you' they are. Do you think they're really like exploded and destroyed or do you think they have a secret underground bunker thing?" Dawn turned and grabbed a handful of popcorn.

"Underground bunker." Anya nodded grabbing a handful as she leaned forward on the island.

"Me too." Dawn agreed.

"Maybe this is all some big test to figure out the best of the best." The ex-demon mused hopefully.

"Buffy will be unbearable if it is and she wins." Dawn admitted with a sigh.

"She's unbearable now. Do you know she said I was looking flabby and should start training?" Anya commented disgusted. "Hello I am over twelve hundred years old and I look perfectly fine."

"You do." Dawn nodded not really looking at her.

"Thank you." Anya beamed. "I hid some chocolate in with the cleaning stuff, did you want some?" She offered gently and wasn't surprised when Dawn nodded. "I knew they would never look for it there." The ex-demon grinned as she bent down and fished them out a bar each.

Just then the dull sound of the front door closed reached the pairs ears, Dawn turned and looked in that direction.

"If someone has run, I'm not going after them." She announced in a firm voice.

"Neither am I!" Anya joined in with her.

The idea that that it wasn't someone leaving but someone arriving was underlined when the noise from the lounge dimmed and a few small voices said 'Hi or hello'.

"Hide the chocolate." Anya hissed and quickly grabbed what was left of Dawn's chocolate bar and stuffed it back into her stash under the sink.

With soft slow footsteps Buffy moved out of the living room and entered the kitchen.

"Oh its you." Dawn glanced over her shoulder.

"Yes, we were just feeding your horde of baby slayers." Anya pointed to the popcorn.

"They look fine." Buffy nodded walking slowly to them, her voice low.

"Did you lose Willow?" The ex-demon questioned grabbing another handful of popcorn.

"Kind of." Buffy smiled a little tightly as she eased herself onto a stool under Anya's confused glare.

"Buffy, what's going on?" Dawn asked quietly seeing the worry that was creasing the Slayer's face.

"I…" She glanced at them both. "There's something I have to talk to you both about. Perhaps you could both sit down." She encouraged.

Almost ritualistically they both sat down staring at her waiting for what they assumed would be bad news.

"Something's happened that's made Giles realize that this thing with The First has been going on a lot longer than we thought it has." She stated gently.

"How long?" Anya questioned swallowing.

"A long time." Buffy breathed.

"Buffy, how long?" Dawn added putting her hands nervously in her lap. "What does he think it's been doing?"

"Watching us, learning about us, about our strengths, our weakness." Buffy answered knowing that neither of them could possibly understand the ramifications of what she was saying.

"How?" The teenager breathed the word out with a shiver.

"Being one of us." Buffy felt her spine chill and tense as she whispered her reply causing them to both looked at her in disbelief.

"Buffy did you perhaps get knocked around the head again by another uber vamp?" Anya asked the serious question.

"I wish I had, but this is real." Buffy shook her head.

"So how is it been one of us? We haven't really hung around anyone new Buffy... Oh God was it doing its bad mojo on Spike?" Dawn gasp lightly as Buffy shook her head and reached out and placed her hand over her sisters.

"Longer than that." She frowned unable to believe how hard this was.

"Buffy, you're really not making enough sense." Anya frowned back at her.

"I know," Buffy apologized. "I'm sorry, but so many things make much more sense right now, but at the same time have gotten all crazy." She tried again. "The First has spent the last eleven months learning about us, finding out exactly how to hurt us."

"Yes, but how exactly?" Anya pushed again.

"Tara." Buffy couldn't look at either of them as she whispered the name.

"You think the First killed Tara?" Dawn pushed back off her stool abruptly.

"Dawn please, sit down." Buffy tried to calm her sister.

"No, you just said that the First killed Tara." The teenager's eyes were hard.

"No, I didn't" Buffy shook her head.

"Actually you said that the First has been finding out how we hurt and how we live and then you just said Tara which would suggest that you're saying the First had something to do with her dying." Anya summed up looking between them.

"The First had nothing to do with Tara dying," Buffy shook her head again. "Because Tara isn't dead."

For a long moment the kitchen was totally silent before Anya started to giggle.

"That is funny, it sounded like your insane sister said Tara wasn't dead." The ex-demon's voice tapered off. "Wait, that isn't funny." She scowled at Buffy.

"No it's not." Buffy didn't flinch under the scowl. "Tara left Sunnydale eleven months ago, after her break up with Willow. She's not been anywhere near here since." She explained quickly. "The first copied her, created a shade of her, and used it to spy on us."

"Tara isn't dead?" Dawn backed up a bit until she collided with the fridge, two of the small magnets falling off and clattering on the tiled floor.

"No, she's at Xander's." Buffy turned and gave her sister a sympathetic smile.

"We have ruled out that she isn't the First right?" Anya looked at the Slayer hopefully.

"We checked out her story, and Giles has done a spell." Buffy turned to her.

"In the bedroom... the blood... she..." Dawn stammered as her face drained of all colour.

"It was a copy, created by the First." Buffy slid off her stool and slowly moved towards the teenager. "Made to hurt us, To test us."

"But... I... we... Willow..." Dawn started to shake as her long legs buckled slowly under her and she dragged the grocery list and a few other notes that were posted on the fridge down as she fell.

"I know." Buffy dived gracefully after her sister gathering her in her arms. "It was all a test." She rocked her gently. "It was all to hurt us." Dawn curled against her sister's body shaking, her eyes wide as her brain seemed to stall as it dealt with the information.

"Damn, damn, damn it." Anya pushed back picking up the bowl of popcorn and threw it at the far wall. "It did hurt." She screeched stamping her foot as her eyes filled with tears.

"It did." Buffy looked up shocked ducking the flying popcorn. "The First is good at what it does."

"It hurt a lot, she was nice, nice like your Mom and I thought she was dead. I lost my store because of what Willow did, and now it's for nothing." Anya paced around her hand on her forehead.

"Where is she?" Dawn pushed up stammering the words. "I need to see her."

"Dawn are you sure?" Buffy let her go and scrambled up to her feet.

"Yes, I need to see her." She repeated with more strength.

"I'll call Xander." Buffy moved to the phone glancing at the former demon that was almost guiltily picking up popcorn.

"Can't we just go over?" Dawn pleaded with her.

"I took Will there." Buffy looked at her sister's doe like eyes and lowered her voice slightly.

"Oh my God Willow." Dawn put her hand to her mouth again not having really thought about how this would impact everyone.

"She's okay." Buffy soothed.

"How can she be okay? You're telling us Tara isn't dead." Dawn shook her head just not believing.

"Tara has her." Buffy tried to explain.

"I would like to see her too." Anya slipped the bowl back onto the counter before she tried to smooth out her skirt.

"Of course, I'll ring." Buffy picked up the phone. "Dawn are you okay?" She asked before dialing the numbers.

"I feel hot." The teenager sat down. "And cold." She stammered leaning against the island a bit.

"Do you want to see her?" Buffy clarified.

"Yes!" Dawn snapped out the word as if she was afraid Buffy was trying to take back all that she had said.

"Common reaction to shock." Anya moved over and put her hand on Dawn's shoulder. "I think I'm going to throw up as well." She added trying to be helpful.

"Okay." Buffy dialled the number quickly. "Anya, can you please look after Dawn, Dawn, sit down please." She directed them as she listened to it ringing.

"Put your head between your knees honey it'll be fine." Anya encouraged not looking much of a better colour as she rubbed Dawn's back.

"Pick up Xander, pick up." Buffy whispered over and over casting quick concerned glances at Dawn and Anya.

"Hello?" Xander's voice came on the line finally.

"Xander, sorry," Buffy said quickly. "Its me."

"Hey, hey... how's it going?" His voice went lower.

"Been better, How's it going your end?" She held her breath as she checked.

"Mmmm the wailing stopped awhile ago. We brought them in some drinks. Buffy, remember when the Byzantium boys hit Giles with a spear?" Xander kept his voice hushed.

"Yeah." Buffy frowned not liking the start of this.

"He had more colour then did he did when he came out. I don't think Willow's holding up well." Xander tried to help her understand. "Though hey no fire balls or black eyed girl so we must be doing okay."

"You think we could cope with two extras?" Buffy asked worriedly.

"Buffy, they need to see her." He admitted softly. "To believe."

"Xander I hate to do this to you, but I can't leave the Potentials." Buffy began. "Do you think you could possibly?"

"Head over there while you're heading over here?" He offered immediately.

"Please." Buffy sighed. "Xander thank you." She added very thankful that she had him to rely on.

"I'm leaving now. Tell them to stay put I'm on the way." He reassured.

"Okay." Buffy placed the phone down and turned back to the girls. "We can go." She whispered to them.

"What about the..." Anya looked to the door towards where the living room.

"Xander's coming over." Buffy relayed. "Dawn are you sure?" She added softly, the teenager didn't look much better even after a few minutes of calmer breathing.

"I need to see her." She repeated her new mantra as she pushed up to stand.

"Okay. Let's move." Buffy pointed to the hall encouraging them all to get ready.

-x-

"Tara." Giles rose softly to his feet when the blonde eased herself out of the bedroom.

"I was getting another drink." Tara turned to him and smiled somewhat weakly

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you finished the other." The watcher frowned feeling suddenly inadequate.

"I didn't..." Tara glanced back towards the bedroom. "I just needed to move." She smiled tightly.

"Is everything all right?" He asked softly seeing her discomfort.

"Cramps." She replied gently. "Long plane journey and we've not exactly moved a lot in there."

"Oh course." He nodded. "Tara, I'm very sorry about before, not that I believe if I was in your place I could appreciate just how shocking it was for us all but I hope you do understand how difficult it was for us to comprehend on face value."

"I understand Mr. Giles." Tara shook her head that his apology wasn't necessary.

"How is Willow?" He asked the question a little reluctantly as he went to turn the kettle on.

"She's..." Tara glanced over her shoulder again at the closed door. "I'm not sure." The blonde admitted. "She's stopped crying."

"I doubt I have to impress this on you Tara as you know Willow better than any of us, but she took your demise... well the demise of what we all believed to be you rather..." He searched for the right word. "Hard." He finally filled in the completely inadequate one.

"It doesn't equate and I know it but…" She looked up through pained blue eyes. "I found it hard to leave." She whispered.

"I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you." He stepped a bit closer very fatherly putting his hand on her shoulder and squeezing. "I'm also very sorry I wasn't here." His voice dropped a bit.

"I tried to find you, in London when I was in Europe, but I couldn't bring myself to..." She glanced at him. "I shouldn't have left her."

"Tara, I know the last thing you need right now is a lecture and I sincerely hope you won't think of this as one but it is not your fault what happened in your absence." He squeezed her shoulder again. "Even by Hellmouth standards it was impossible to believe such a thing could occur."

"Do you understand what happened? How it happened?" Tara asked frowning slightly.

"I have a theory but its going to take some time to piece it together. I believe the First must have seen an opening when you were leaving to truly infiltrate Buffy's inner circle and to do that it created a Shadow." Giles flicked the kettle off as it started to boil. "The problem I have to research is how."

"I'll help in anyway I can." Tara assured him.

"Thank you." He smiled at her.

"Perhaps I should go back in there." Tara took a step back towards the door before stopping. "Where's Xander?" She asked turning to Giles with a soft frown.

"He's gone to Buffy's to watch over the SIT's." He poured out his tea. "Dawn and Anya wanted to see you." He admitted in a soft voice.

"Anya... They're coming here? Dawnie?" Tara went a little pale.

"I apologize if this is all overwhelming." He looked at her regretting how much strain this was putting on her. "But they wanted to see you, they've missed you terribly."

"Of course." Tara shook her head slightly and tried to look more assured.

"Did you want anything to eat?" Giles tried to find some way to help.

"No, I don't think I'm hungry, I-I-I'll ask W-W-Willow." She moved back to the door.

"I'll knock when they are here and do my best to keep them out here in the living room." He nodded as she retreated away.

"Thank you." She bowed her head slightly, pushing the door handle down and easing herself back into the dimly lit room.

Willow by this time was sitting cross-legged on the middle of the bed, she'd managed to shed the heavy corduroy jacket she'd been wearing. Her hair sat a little wildly around her face and shoulders as she looked up immediately watching Tara close the door.

"Mr. Giles wondered if you were hungry." Tara asked pausing in the doorway before she pulled it closed.

"No." She shook her head lightly. "Are you? I could get you something..." She questioned not taking her eyes off of Tara.

"No, I don't think I am." Tara moved a little way away from the door towards the bed.

"This all must be super weird." Willow pointed out as she nibbled on her lower lip.

"It is." Tara nodded "You shouldn't do that, you'll make it sore." She added pointing to the side of her mouth "And you'll have to put that cream on you don't like."

"I ran out of cream." Willow informed her almost stupidly. "I keep forgetting to make an appointment at the health centre."

"Did you use the emergence tube?" Tara prompted instantly. "From the Kitty box?"

"I..." Willow slowly shook her head. "I didn't want to disturb anything in the kitty box."

"No, of course." Tara suddenly felt chilled to her stomach, just as she was beginning to forget the events that had been happening in Sunnydale they hit her full on again.

"I can use it now though." Willow reached out the short distance touching the blonde's hand. Tara literally jumped at the contact her mind a million miles away. "Sorry." Willow jerked her hand back.

"No Willow, I'm sorry." Tara blinked blue eyes at her but didn't reach out to take the redhead's hand. "I just..." She tried to explain, but she wasn't even sure she had the words.

"Feeling overwhelmed, feeling like you've just walked into a nightmare." Willow offered trying to explain it for her. "I feel like I'm in the best dream I've had in months." She slowly moved over to sit next to Tara. "You're alive." She whispered ever so softly. "This is all I ever wanted."

"I... I don't know what to say Willow." Tara admitted turning to her.

"Tara you don't have to say anything." Willow shook her head. "You're alive, that's all that needs to be."

"I'm sorry that I let you all get hurt so badly." Tara breathed.

"It's not your fault." Willow contradicted immediately. "You didn't know any of this was going on. I know if you knew that baby you'd have come home right away to tell us all, it's that damn First." Her voice went angry at the mention of its name.

"But I should have kept in touch with someone, someone other than Candice, I can't understand why she didn't try to contact me." She shook her head and let it drop momentarily.

"Candice?" Willow looked confused.

"At university." Tara nodded. "She was in my Art history class, I stayed with her for a couple of days before I left."

"She knew you were leaving?" The redhead's eyes narrowed.

"Yes." Tara nodded. "She drove me to the bus station. I didn't know you knew Candice." She looked at Willow with a soft frown.

"Tara, I saw you with her a few weeks before..." She didn't finish. "I went to find you after class and I saw you kiss her cheek and got a bit jealous. You explained who she was and that she was just a friend."

"Kiss her cheek?" Tara frowned. "I wouldn't do that." She shook her head. "She's just a friend, I didn't really even know her, she just offered her spare room. She went to the Wicca group once or twice, way back, before you joined."

"It must have been the first." Willow shivered as she looked at the blonde.

"The First with Candice? Oh God do you think she's been hurt?" Tara went a subtle shade of green.

"Tara, this might be hard to remember but when she offered you a place to stay and after that... did you ever actually touch her?" Willow checked.

"Occasionally, nothing more than a brush or a... no wait." Tara shook her head after a few moments of thought. "I cut my finger." She recalled. "There was a broken cup in the sink, I didn't see it, didn't check." She explained.

"And she helped you bandage it?" Willow checked.

"She thought it may need stitches." Tara examined her finger. "It didn't."

"Poor poorly finger." Willow looked down at the faint scar with a frown.

"It bled, you know like I do." Tara gave a gentle lopsided smile.

"Did you put cream on it?" The redhead checked softly.

"Candice did have the one I like." She replied her blue eyes filling up with tears. "Or any pretty bandages."

"Baby I'm so sorry." Willow reached up slowly putting her hand on Tara's back.

"I…" She shook her head. "I…" She jumped when the intercom from the front door buzzed loudly.

Willow jumped with her instantly putting a protective arm fully around the blonde.

A brief scuttle sounded outside before the front door opened and more people entered.

"Giles, how are they?" Buffy's voice asked clearly through the closed door.

The Watcher's reply wasn't as clear muffled by the wood and his obvious attempt to cover his answer.

"Where is she?" Dawn's more high pitched voice questioned back.

"Are you up for visitors?" Willow realized who must be behind the door.

"They have a right... they need to see me." Tara replied her voice quiet and anything but sure.

"I can tell them to come back tomorrow, if you're not ready." Willow offered protectively.

"No, I... Dawnie." The blonde's voice changed to a hushed whisper as the door was pushed open and the teenager stood framed in the bright light from the living room.

"Tara?" Dawn stopped stark still as she stared at the blonde.

"Dawn." Tara pushed up but didn't move.

"Tara." The teenager repeated her name as she rushed forward throwing herself into a hug.

"Oh Dawnie." Tara closed her hand over the back of Dawn's head and cradled it softly.

"I missed you, I missed you so much." Dawn sobbed as soon as she felt Tara's soft arms cradling her as they had so often.

"You've grown, look at you," Tara blinked hard knowing her tears wouldn't help this already tricky situation. "So tall, and so pretty." She swallowed.

"Please don't ever leave again." The teenager whispered softly.

"I'm so sorry." Tara whispered. "I didn't ever dream this could happen."

"It's okay as long as you're alive." Dawn pulled back a bit looking into blue eyes.

"I'm alive." Tara nodded. "And I bought you a skirt from Italy." She added with a lopsided smile.

"A skirt?" Dawn's face brightened through her tears. "It is you." She hugged the blonde tight again.

"I'm hoping its not going to be too short now." Tara hugged her back.

"Short is good." Dawn held on for along time before she pulled back before plopping to sit on the bed beside Willow as they both watched her in awe.

"Oh my God." Anya's voice squeaked from the sitting room. The former demon had been watching from there while Dawn had met up with blonde. "Is it really her?" She turned and looked at Buffy and Giles.

Buffy nodded at Anya.

"Oh my God." She repeated still staring at Tara. "Have you checked?" She turned back and stared at Giles. "I mean she might be another one, The First might have an army of Tara clones."

"Anya, please." The Englishman scowled at her.

"What?" Anya turned back and stared at Tara. "I'm just saying, I don't want to do this all over again I mean I don't want to make friends with her take her back into my heart and really like her if she's going to just go again." She defended her comment.

"Anya!" Willow glared at the brunette.

"What?" Anya stared at Willow. "I'm just saying…"

"We heard already." Buffy interrupted her from repeating it.

"Tara's tired, she needs to rest and doesn't need to hear your wild theories." Willow stood up trying to deflect the demon's stare.

"She does look tired." Anya nodded. "But maybe if she was a Shade she would." She turned back at Giles to see if he would support her statement.

"She is not a shade." He shook his head again.

"She's not a shade." Willow snapped looking at them all. "Stop saying that." She underlined.

"I'm just saying what people are thinking." Anya folded her arms across her chest.

"She needs to rest, go say what you think in the living room." Willow pushed them all back with her words.

"Tara if it is you, it's nice to see you're not dead." Anya huffed lightly and sunk down into the nearest chair.

"Do you want to have a bath before you lie down?" Willow went closer to Tara.

"Sorry, what?" Tara blinked and looked at Willow not having heard the question.

"Do you want to have a bath baby? To help you relax for sleepies." Willow looking into distant blue eyes.

"Yeah and do you want something to eat?" Dawn looked at her showing that every one of them was ready to jump at her every wish.

"Willow why don't you run her a bath, Dawn go make tea and Anya you can make toast okay?" Buffy finally spoke and wasn't surprised when everyone started scurrying around. "Giles, you can go do whatever." She waved him off and walked closer to Tara. "Sorry, everyone is just in shock." She tried to explain their irrational behavior.

"I understand that." Tara nodded though her breathing was a little short and her cheeks turned from pale to suddenly flush. "I... I…" She raised her hand to her forehead.

"Overwhelmed... don't know what to say, I know." Buffy gently reached up and moved her over to sit on the bed. "When I came back from the dead I swear I kept thinking I had three heads the way everyone was looking at me."

"But I only came back from Florence." Tara said weakly.

"Yeah but to everyone you were dead so it's just like that." Buffy tried to explain.

"To everyone but me." She tried to explain her viewpoint.

"Well yes." Buffy nodded. "Everyone will calm down in a few days"

"Yes." Tara nodded distant again.

"Anything else you need?" The Slayer checked.

"To get out of here." Tara smiled awkwardly.

"Where do you want to go?" Buffy stood up a bit shocked by the request.

"I don't know, but it's okay, I'll take my bath, drink my tea and eat my toast, and then go to bed." The blonde seemed to settle on the plan.

"I'll try to keep everyone as distracted as I can, but I don't think Willow's going to let you out of her sight." Buffy admitted.

"I think you're right." Tara nodded. "Do you think you could maybe pick up some more of my things?"

"Of course." The Slayer nodded. "We've got it in storage... I can bring all your clothes if you want."

"My clothes?" Tara looked a little strangely. "Oh the ones I left with Candice?"

"Yeah those ones." The Slayer felt the very large warning signal go off in her head, after all they'd been forced to go and pack up all of her stuff at the dorms when the shade had been killed. Apparently the First had thought of everything to the smallest detail.

"I meant the ones from the motel, from my luggage, but yes, whichever." Tara gave her a brief smile.

"I can get both." She nodded.

"Thank you." Tara gave a small smile.

**-x-**


	4. Chapter 4

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Four.**

Andrew hung up the phone and looked around at the girls in the living room.

"Who did Buffy put in charge when she left?" He questioned them.

"Xander, but he's not here yet." A voice called up from off the floor.

"Oh okay." Andrew put his hand up to his mouth and chewed his nail for a minute walking towards the door. "I'm sure he'll be here soon, I mean a few minutes won't make a difference."

"What's wrong, you're disturbing the movie." Came a second grumble.

"Nothing." He shook his head. "Just that was those English Wicca friends of Willow, apparently another of you was due in at the bus terminal about now."

"Wasn't Giles supposed to be picking her up." Kennedy queried through a mouthful of popcorn.

"Was he? Oh then no worries." Andrew came back over and sunk into his chair. "Can we watch the twin towers after this?"

"But why was there a phone call if she was already been picked up?" Vi asked seriously.

"Maybe something happened to him?" Molly put in reluctantly. "Maybe something happened to both of them."

"We could go down there and check." Another voice came into the conversation.

"Bad idea, Buffy said to never leave the house without her." Andrew looked at them all.

"Yeah well Buffy isn't here." Kennedy interjected.

"If we all go together?" Rona questioned a bit sheepishly.

"You can stay here and tell Xander where we are." Kennedy pushed up. "Let's get armed." She moved over to the weapons chest.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Molly asked a bit reluctantly as the rest of the girls ran over to the chest.

"Well why donut you stay with Andrew then." Kennedy offered with a shrug.

"No, no if everyone is going." Molly got up and came over picking up a stake. "I'm a potential too."

"Let's go." Kennedy snapped the bolt into the crossbow and headed towards the door.

"Can I just say I really don't think you should do this." Andrew raised his hand hesitantly.

"We have to do something, she can't be out there by herself." Rona confirmed as she tucked the large bottle of holy water into her coat.

"Rona's right, we have to do this." Kennedy nodded. "Lets go." She underlined again hoping no one had any other objections to slow them down.

-x-

"Okay, okay, switch off the chick flick, the Xan man is here." Xander pushed open the door and carried in the buckets of fried chicken he brought with him. "The road was a nightmare, there was some problem at the bus station and why am I looking at one Geek and a hobbit?" He stood in the doorway looking between Andrew and the TV screen.

"You're late." Andrew looked up from the screen.

"That was covered by the 'the road was a nightmare' line in my greeting." Xander dumped the chicken on him "Where are they?"

"They went to the bus station, Willow's witchy friends called to say another potential was arriving and since none of you were around they decided to go get her themselves." Andrew opened the lid.

"What? And you let them?" Xander scowled.

"How can I stop them?" Andrew wagged a chicken leg at him. "They outnumbered me."

"You remind them of a certain slayer who is going to kick you ass into next week if any of them are so much as scratched." Xander snarled.

"They didn't listen." He whined back. "I told them it was foolish and they'd probably all die."

"Oh crap, we so don't need this. Didn't they go missing earlier and Buffy had to drag them all back here." He pushed moving over to see that most of the weapons were gone.

"Yeah they decided they needed ice cream, this is way different they took weapons." He pointed to the chest as Xander peered in.

"What?" Xander smacked his hand to his forehead. "Do you like your comic collection." He turned and stared at the small man on the couch.

"Stop holding it ransom, you all do that." Andrew flinched.

"Well you know I'm thinking BONFIRE right now." Xander screeched.

"Look they went to the bus station, you've only got say fifteen minutes on them."

Andrew stood up. "We can argue or we an go get the slayer and go save them."

"Do you know how long it takes to kill someone?" Xander pushed his finger up to Andrew's nose.

"Yes, yes I do." Andrew flustered. "Stop bringing it up." He pulled away putting his hands to his ears.

"Hey I smell chicken." From behind the carpenter a strong female voice announced her presence in the open doorway. Instinctively both men backed away from her.

"Look we don't need your taunting right now." Xander spat at her.

"Okay I won't taunt you." The tall stocky girl that stood behind Xander shook her head, as she reached up and pulled of a close fitting black woollen cap. She pushed a scuffed hand up through her shoulder length brown hair, that from about an inch and a half up to the bottom was dyed pitch black. She then cupped her other hand underneath her bleeding nose. "But can I at least have a tissue?" She looked at Xander with dark brown eyes.

"Who are you?" Xander walked cautiously over to the desk and stood with the box of tissues held as far out as he could, waiting to see if she took one.

"Owl." The tall girl pulled one tissue out of the box and held it up to her nose. "I got in about twenty minutes ago, I would have been here earlier, but I ran into a little bother."

"Owl?" Andrew looked at her slightly awed.

"O, W, L… Like the bird." She stared at him dabbing at her nose.

"Sorry don't mind the furniture." Xander moved over offering more tissues and rather obviously stuck his hand out to feel her arm. "We've just had some bother too lately. Are you a potential?"

"Do you mind not groping me?" Owl stared at his hand. "I'm Owl, I feel the phrase potential just asking for trouble and I have to say right now, I'm beginning to affirm my idea." She screwed up the tissue in her hand and threw it with perfect aim into the small bin just visible on the other side of the TV.

"Sorry, just had to check not groping." Xander pulled his hands back. "Welcome to casa Summers or better known as Slayer central. Where are the others? Did they get into this bother too?" He looked out the door.

"Others? What others?" The tall women stripped off a short brown leather jacket and scowled as she saw a large gash on the sleeve.

"The other potentials who went to pick you up at the bus station." Andrew supplied the information.

"Nice for them but I came by my own steam. Large bike on the front lawn, I take it someone can tell me where to put it." She motioned out the door.

"You can put it in the back." Andrew was more than happy to help her. "I can show you."

"Andrew get her settled, I have to go after them." Xander moved back picking up an axe.

"Hey! That's a might big axe you got there." Owl called after Xander.

"You know the bother you ran into?" Xander hung in the doorway.

"Yeah guys in robes, big knives." She nodded.

"There are more of you running around that the bother wants to kill." He nodded. "I have to go find them."

"Want me to tag along?" She offered pushing her arm back into her jacket.

"You feel up to fighting more of them?" He was surprised by her confident eagerness, most of the other potentials were eager but not really confident.

"Sure." She pulled her jacket on fully and pulled out one of the Bringers' daggers from the inside pocket. "After you." She nodded. "Does the weed come to?" She checked glancing over her shoulder at Andrew.

"I'm not a weed." Andrew started chasing after them. "I'm a vital link in the... hey be nice you just got here." He pulled the door closed after himself.

"Yeah whatever, you're going in the car with him." She pointed after Xander. "No offence but I don't want you hanging onto my back." She jogged over to the large Harley on the lawn

-x-

The bus depot was a maze of dark and light. Desolate shadows were broken up by the hazy yellow glow from tall pole lights more designed to mark off where the large coaches should be parked rather than to offer light to the concrete below.

"We missed her bus." Rona hissed as she crept behind Kennedy as they rounded a shadowed corner entering a long corridor created by two parked buses.

"Obviously." Kennedy hissed back as she kept the crossbow that she had ready to be raised and fired. Whatever moved first in front of her that wasn't human was getting the bolt as a present.

"She's probably in the depot and the others have found her." Rona glanced back when she heard something that was vaguely like a footstep echo above them but she shook it off as nerves.

"We'll make our way back there but I want to check out here first just in case." Kennedy nodded as they slowed their pace, edging their way to the front end of the long metal bus they were pressed against.

"I don't like it out here." The other SIT clung to the bus looking back and forth. "Why did you pick me to come scouting anyway?"

"Because Molly has two left feet and Amanda still has a headache from the last attack." Kennedy explained as she clutched the bow tighter. "It's too quiet, like we're being…" She didn't get a chance to finish as without warning two Bringers jumped down from the roofs of the bus they were hiding behind to cut off the exits of the small alley.

Even in the dull light the shiny blades they carried sparkled and confirmed exactly what they wanted to do to the two young girls.

"Run!" Kennedy announced when Rona hadn't moved. She took aim and fired the crossbow bolt at the closest Bringer, striking him in the shoulder. The wound made him lose focus on them for a moment but didn't bring him down.

"Where?" Rona questioned seeing the other Bringer starting to advance on them.

"Under the bus, go… go…" Kennedy urged her to move by pushing down on Rona's shoulders to cram her under the metal underbelly of the couch before she threw the crossbow at the other Bringer and dove under it herself. Kicking off hands that grabbed at her ankles she scrambled across to the other side. "Keep going." She cursed at the other SIT making her move faster as they pulled out and jumped to their feet again.

The depot suddenly became a maze of metal as they ran from alleyway to alleyway blindly trying to find their way back to the main building. Around them they could only hear sudden distant calls for help and then screams, as it became clear that the Bringers were hunting and it was apparent they weren't the only things on the menu anymore.

"What's going on?" Rona questioned as they ran by the ticket building to see that it was eerily deserted.

"Something very bad." Kennedy rounded a blind corner and was nearly smacked off her feet when she ran headlong into Andrew who had been cautiously backing up.

"Don't kill me!" He squealed at first bringing his hands up to protect his face.

"Where is everyone?" Xander asked immediately ignoring his cowardly show.

"They were in the depot, we were scouting out the parking lot when two Bringers jumped us." Kennedy filled him in quickly.

"But we heard screaming and we've been trying to find them." Rona added panting hard her eyes wildly looking around.

"This is why Buffy tells you to stay in the house at night." Xander cursed as he led them out into the main station platform.

"Who is this?" Kennedy asked Xander when a tall brown haired girl rounded the corner.

"This is Owl." She responded before anyone else could slowly looking Kennedy up and down.

"She's a slayer in training, I think you guys got your wires crossed because she didn't come in to the bus depot." Xander shook his head. "We need to find the rest of the potentials."

"This place is huge, we'll never find them." Andrew whined as they moved in a tight group across the open area. "Not with Bringers running around."

"If those weird eyed guys are around we better find your little friends fast." Owl moved forward boldly and everyone filed in behind her.

Following up the rear Kennedy felt her boot slip on something and she looked down to see a dark stain on the concrete. Looking up she saw that a trail of it led around a bus shelter and she followed it immediately. Hidden in a corner, wedged between a poster-covered wall and a garbage can was a slim oriental girl.

"I found someone." She called back for the others as she bent down trying to pull her out from the tight area. "She's hurt." She reached down to the large growing bloodstain that covered the girl's stomach. "Bad." Her voice was smaller as she felt the warm liquid cover her hand.

"We need to get her to a hospital." Rona added when she looked down at the injured girl. "I mean she must be the new SIT." She turned to Xander and saw him clenching his jaw as he looked over her shoulder.

"First we need to get rid of them." He raised the axe he had as four Bringers bore down on them.

-x-

Dawn literally skipped in the front door, she felt like she was walking on air and for the first time in months she was sure they were going to survive all this First stuff.

"We should send her flowers." She mused as she hung up her coat.

"Dawn's right, and maybe take her out for breakfast tomorrow." Anya agreed.

"I think maybe we need to give her some time guys, let her settle in." Buffy interjected looking into the living room. "Um okay who let the potentials out of their cage?" She asked in an annoyed voice.

"Settle in, but... Oh they've gone again." Anya piped up but stopped.

"And took weapons." Dawn pointed to the open chest.

"I don't believe this." Buffy cursed tightly jogging over and looking into the nearly empty chest "Don't they ever learn." She reached in and grabbed a short sword.

"I think Andrew's gone too." Dawn did a quick lap of the main floor.

"Molly clear the couch." Kennedy's out of breath voice called from a little away as the door was pushed back harder and Molly pushed through. Kennedy followed a heartbeat later, carrying a badly bloodied oriental girl.

"We should have gone to the hospital." Molly hobbled in moving past Anya and pulled the pillows off.

"Yeah like what were we going to tell them?" Kennedy snapped pushing through and placing the girl in her arms on the couch.

"I'll get bandages." Anya hurried off when she saw the blood.

"What the hell is this?" Buffy snapped.

Rona stumbled through the front door, bleeding lightly from a cut in her cheek.

"We were a bit late." She frowned at the Slayer's scowl.

"Bringers." Xander staggered in hanging off of Vi holding his side, one of his eyes was already swelling closed.

"I don't know how to stop this." Kennedy pushed both of her hands down onto the oriental woman's side, she wiped her forehead on her shoulder, her long hair dirty and straggly around her head.

"Here, here." Anya pushed towards her and she started applying pressure to the wound. "This is going to need stitches." She looked back at the Slayer frowning.

"Anyone want this?" Owl took long strides in carrying an unconscious Andrew over her shoulder.

"How bad?" Buffy looked at the ex-demon her eyes serious but stopped as she heard the new voice her head twisting round to stare at the tall girl. "Xander who the hell is that?" She hissed.

"Owl." He groaned as he was dropped in a chair. "She's a SIT Buffy."

"Drop him anywhere we don't care much about him." Anya scowled. "It's bad, like more than we can do bad." She wadded up more bandages to put on the wound.

"Okay." Owl pitched Andrew on the bottom step, leaning his head against the rail.

"Should we call an ambulance?" Buffy pushed Anya to make a decision. The demon took another look at the wound and nodded. "Dawn the phone." Buffy called pushing forward.

Kennedy leaned back a bit wiping her hands on her dark jeans as the teenager ran off towards it.

"We tried Buffy." Kennedy frowned and pushed away at tears that threatened to spill onto her cheeks.

"Get everyone into the basement, if you're all here when they come we'll have more trouble then we have now." The Slayer instructed not having the time to deal with emotion.

The dark haired potential was about to argue, but instead she pushed up onto her feet. She moved over to Rona.

"Come on you heard what she said." She rallied them all towards the basement.

"There coming, I called Giles too." Dawn rushed back in and moved to help Xander.

"Get down into the basement with the rest Dawn." Buffy instructed

With a shrug Owl picked up Andrew and followed the others out of the room.

"What are we going to tell them?" Anya wiped her forehead with her sleeve and looked up at the Slayer.

"Right now, I have no clue." Buffy looked at the girl on the couch and then at Anya. "Its bad isn't it?" She said quietly.

Anya gave her a tiny sad nod.

-x-

Owl rather unceremoniously dropped Andrew on the closet bed and glanced over to where Vi carefully cleaned Rona's cheek. Kennedy paced the floor near the door. Dawn fussed around Xander as she helped him slide down on the bed near where Owl had dropped Andrew. Amanda and Molly sat on a bed further back looking at each other sheepishly.

"Do we have any ice for this?" Owl looked at Xander who was just sitting there in pain.

"In the freezer." Dawn pointed to the chest freezer in the corner.

Owl nodded and went opening it, she took out some ice and a bag of frozen peas.

"Here." She moved to put the ice on Xander's head. "You can put those on your leg." She tossed the bag at Kennedy.

"They knew we were coming." Amanda stared at the floor.

"This is why Buffy keeps telling you not to leave the house." Dawn snapped at them as the sound of a siren rushing up to the house could be heard above.

"We had to go." Kennedy replied. "She was on her own."

"Yeah what happened to the Watcher picking her?" Vi queried looking at the teenager.

"Giles wasn't picking anyone up." Dawn shook her head. "Who told you that?"

"Kennedy did." Vi looked at the dark haired woman.

"Who told you that?" Dawn looked at Kennedy.

"I..." Kennedy frowned. "I can't remember, he did?" Immediately Molly reached out and poked her.

"She's not the first." The dark haired SIT confirmed.

"Guys he did." Kennedy objected.

"Was he meeting me or the other girl?" Owl questioned as she hopped up to sit on the freezer.

"We didn't know there were two of you." Amanda shook her head.

"Girls, girls... we just need to look after everyone we can figure out the why later."

Xander groaned as he sat up more. "Anyone bleeding or broken?"

There was a general chorus of 'no'.

"Then lets try not to make this worse." Xander frowned as he heard the ambulance speeding away.

A few moments later Buffy pulled the door open at the top of the stairs.

"Okay everyone" She called down. "Lets have you up here. I am so ready to hear this."

"Do we leave him here?" Rona looked at Andrew who was still out cold.

"Might as well." Dawn nodded taking off up the stairs.

"He's fine." Xander pushed up gingerly and started to hobble towards the stairs.

Dawn got to the lounge just as Buffy was wiping the couch down with a sodden towel.

"Where's Anya?" The teenager asked as she stopped just behind Buffy.

"She went with her." Buffy sighed as she picked up the discarded bandages and put them in the garbage.

"She okay?" Dawn looked uncomfortable.

"Anya's going to phone." Buffy's voice was non-committal.

"Oh, okay." Dawn looked down. "I think they're really done in Buffy." She glanced over her shoulder as the noise of the approaching group of people grew louder as everyone slowly made their way into the living room.

"Fine." The Slayer looked up at them all. "Molly, Vi, Amanda, Chloe and Rona take Xander upstairs." She waved them off.

"But..." Amanda began to object.

"Does this look like my please argue with me face?" Buffy snapped at the young woman.

The potential dropped her head and gave her assistance to the others as they moved on mass upstairs. Kennedy sat down heavily on an armchair. Owl leaned against the wall.

"Okay... so who can explain what the hell went on here?" She looked at Kennedy.

"We got a call, about a new girl getting in." Kennedy explained.

"What happened?" Buffy sat down.

"I thought Giles was picking her up, maybe I misheard something, but then it was pointed out, why would we get a call if she had been picked up already?" She paused. "As Xander wasn't here we couldn't ask him what to do we didn't know where you were. And we couldn't let her fight out there on her own, QuanLee just got in the way of a bad swing, the new girl didn't stand a chance."

"And what's your story?" Buffy looked at Owl.

"I just got in, followed my nose, well and the directions I was given." She pulled a scruffy piece of paper from her jacket pocket. "Had a little unplanned distraction, got here and found Xander and the weed all panicked because the rest of the girls weren't here."

"Unplanned distraction?" Buffy picked up on the words. "You mean you were attacked right?"

"Yeah two guys in brown robes, with these." She pulled out the knife. "Nearly scratched my bike."

"Who gave you directions?" Buffy stood up taking the knife and inspecting it to see the now familiar markings.

"I was given them when I was told to come here." Owl replied.

"Which was who exactly?" Buffy pushed looking at the tall girl.

"My Watcher." Owl stared back at her.

"And he is where?" Buffy didn't flinch.

"She." Owl corrected. "Is dead."

"I'm sorry." Buffy flinched at the knowledge and turned away. "Kennedy how many attacked you?"

"Six." Kennedy looked down. "They knew we were coming."

"The new girl?" Buffy asked the question knowing the answer already.

"Look why am I getting the third degree?" She pushed up and looked angrily at Buffy. "You weren't here, what were we supposed to do?"

"Sit tight didn't seem like an answer, call for help?" Buffy snapped at her. "Instead of leading the rest of them out to get their asses kicked, you know better than that."

"You just took off with Willow, then with Anya and Dawn. No sitting tight didn't seem like the thing to do. There was someone new out there, alone at risk. We had to help, while you were off somewhere forgetting about us." Kennedy snapped.

"Excuse me but you have no clue what I was doing tonight." Buffy growled back at her.

"I know what you weren't doing." She bit back.

"You're out of line Kennedy, I think its time you go upstairs too. You can get Owl settled in with you." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I share with Willow." Kennedy didn't move.

"Willow's at Xander's tonight." Buffy informed her coldly.

"Fine." Kennedy snapped and stomped upstairs.

"Great, I'm sharing with Little Miss Sunshine." Owl watched her leave.

Exhausted Buffy slumped down in a chair.

"Sorry, you can have my room I'm not going to sleep." The Slayer reached up massaging her neck.

"No it's okay." Owl moved a little closer to the stairs. "I'll see if I can't calm her down a bit."

-x-

Trying to make as little noise as possible Owl crept down the stairs, her bare feet clinging lightly to the carpet, the air fairly chilly on her long legs, before the dark cotton of her boxer shorts cut a line across her thighs.

"It's okay, I'm up." Buffy flicked on the lamp near the couch when her hearing picked up the movement.

"Oh hi." Owl stopped at the bottom step and pushed her hand through her slightly messy two-tone hair she then pulled her light grey tank top straighter.

"Sorry, I was thirsty." She pointed out lamely.

"It's okay, kitchen's in there you might as well get oriented." Buffy pushed up and walked to lead her there. "I think we got juice and pop." She pulled open the fridge and held up a juice box.

"Anything is good thanks." She took it from Buffy. "Sorry to say this but shouldn't you be getting some rest?" She quickly opened it.

"I don't rest much lately." Buffy shook her head. "Especially not at night." She looked out the window to the dark sky.

"Did your friend call yet?" Owl asked pushing up to sit on the island.

"Not yet." Buffy shook her head.

"They did okay." Owl pointed out with a gentle shrug. "A little disorganized, but they did okay."

"So you took on two of them yourself?" Buffy questioned turning around her voice curious and without the harder edge it had held before.

"The bike helped." Owl nodded out of the window. "There was only one of them with a bit of help from it. Not many people get up after having a Harley slapped into them."

"I guess not." Buffy couldn't help but smirk a bit at her obvious ingenuity.

"And I'd seen them before." She added.

"Your watcher?" The Slayer checked sadly.

"Yeah." Owl dropped her head a little. "She fought hard, but they were too much for her. The Council's in trouble isn't it." She added swinging her bare legs a little.

"We're pretty much all that is left." Buffy offered meekly.

"What?" Owl looked up.

"We get word occasionally that a new potential like yourself is on the way but other than that... gone." She underlined the fact softly.

"Shit." Owl's shock showed in her face.

"The First is bad." Buffy summed up.

"It has to pay." Owl said sincerely.

"It's going too." The Slayer nodded thinking back to the other events of the evening. "But we can't have any more stupid stunts like tonight." She went back to get herself a juice box. "They might have done okay as you said but most of them can't hold a stake straight."

"Yeah, that did sort of look the case." Owl admitted. "A couple of them have the right idea. You okay?" She added looking at the Slayer.

"Yeah I'm fine." Buffy put the juice box down and reached up flicking her hair over her shoulder. "Just a crazy night."

"Yeah." Owl looked up nodding, just as the phone on the wall across from her began to ring.

"Hello?" Without saying anything else Buffy raced over and picked it up.

"Buffy?" Anya's voice came back at her.

"Yes, have you heard anything?" The slayer turned a little shielding the phone for some reason.

"She didn't make it." The ex-demons voice shook slightly. "She died in surgery."

"Oh God." Buffy put her hand up leaning on the wall. "Is Giles there with you?" She questioned after a few minutes regaining herself.

"No. I've done my best to do things right but there was no one her to help me." There was a slight whine to the woman's voice. "I can't get through to Xander's apartment."

"Anya... Anya you did great." Buffy tried to support her hearing how upset she was that was until she heard her last comment. "No one's answering?" She questioned standing up straight again.

"I thought maybe you'd brought them to the house." Anya added hopefully.

"Anya get back here as soon as possible... I'll go check it out." Buffy instructed feeling her body go tense.

"I had to sign the papers." Anya's voice shook a little. "I will come back there."

"You did great, take a taxi and be careful okay. I want you home in one piece." The Slayer relayed.

With a soft click Anya ended the call.

"I've got to go." Buffy hung up the phone and informed Owl.

"That was your friend?" Owl watched the transformation in the Slayer.

"She didn't make it." Buffy walked back towards the weapons chest.

"Shit." The SIT frowned. "Do you need me to go get your friend?" She slipped down off the island.

"She's taking a taxi." Buffy shook her head. "She's not a target really so it should be okay."

"Are you sure because it won't take me a sec to get dressed and where are you going?" She added following her.

"There's bigger problems... there's no answer at Xander's despite at least two people being there." Buffy didn't quite explain. "And Giles never actually made it to the hospital. I've got to find them."

"Then can I give you a lift?" Owl changed her offer.

For a moment the Slayer thought about turning the offer down, but the truth was it was going to take her at least fifteen minutes to run to Xander's. "Normally I'd say no, but get dressed."

With a nod the Tall girl took the stairs three at a time to return literally seconds later with her pale brown jeans up around her waist, though still unfastened and her sweater was over her head. She pushed her arms through as she jumped down them again. She pulled a thick belt tight around her waist as she pushed her feet into boots that she had left by the bottom of the stairs. She pushed the big metal Owl etched buckle on her belt down to sit in the proper place as she pulled on her slashed jacket.

Buffy was busy stocking herself up with weapons and moved over to meet her at the door.

"I'm done." She gave a smile.

"Do we need helmets or something?" Buffy asked rather stupidly.

"All on the bike." Owl pulled the door open.

-x-


	5. Chapter 5

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Five.**

The Slayer couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a motorcycle but though she couldn't place the memory, she did know one thing and that was it was both the most scary thing and the most exhilarating thing at the same time. She tried not to hold to tightly, her small but very strong arms were wound around Owl's middle as the large chrome fatboy growled its way through the main strip of Sunnydale. The potential obviously loved the bike, as she knew its every response and nuance, gears popping at just the right rpm and the loud double pipes near Buffy's leg grumbling like a volcano about to erupt.

The half mirror helmet that Buffy was wearing made her feel a bit too exposed so she tucked in her head in behind the taller woman. After all, when they got to where they were going she wanted to be in one piece as she planned on killing whatever was keeping Willow from picking up the phone. Watching the shops and houses go by from her side view, she peered up briefly before letting one hand go to reluctantly point to the turn down Xander's road.

Nodding slightly Owl eased in and turned the bike, slowing down a little as she waited for further directions.

"At the end, the white building on the corner." Buffy pulled up a bit trying to be heard over the bike by putting herself close to the other woman's ear.

Owl nodded again and revved the bike driving them speedily up to the apartment block and then down and around into the parking bays. Pulling up right next to the entrance she stopped and steadied the Harley.

Buffy slipped off finding herself a bit shaky for a moment.

"Seems quiet out here." She began to call over the bike's engine just as Owl cut it leaving her almost screaming. "Okay it was till I did that."

"Yeah." Owl agreed pulling off her helmet with a smile. "Sorry she's a bit on the loud side."

"Can you get a quite Harley?" Buffy questioned curious as she fumbled to take off her own helmet.

"No." Owl smiled. "You have to undo the strap." She reached out and pointed to the clip just under Buffy's chin.

"I'm usually very pedestrian." Buffy managed to unclip it and catch the heavy helmet before she dropped it.

Owl knelt down quickly and pulled out a security chain, she looped it quickly through both helmets and then round the bike, clicking it shut.

"So lets go." She glanced at Buffy and then the door.

Buffy was almost instantly on the move as they went up the exterior staircase and then into Xander's building. Owl had to run to keep up her dark eyes alert as they hurried.

Deciding to skip the elevator she headed for the stairs, almost sprinting up the three flights until they were at Xander's door. She checked the handle to find it was locked. For a moment her mind was stuck between knock, kick it down, knock, kick it down and then she remembered.

"Key." She bent down pulling up the corner of the carpet to retrieve the shiny gold key, silently she slid it into the lock and opened the door.

Owl used her height advantage to look over the Slayer's shoulder the apartment beyond was in complete darkness as silent as a tomb.

Buffy put her hand up signaling for her to stay there as she moved in creeping through the dark to check the living room.

Taking no notice Owl followed the Slayer easing the door closed behind them

Almost methodically Buffy checked seeing none of the windows were tampered or broken, the room was pretty much as she'd left it a few hours before. The next point of inspection was the kitchen that showed nothing before she went over to the closed door. Cautiously she opened it peering in through the darkness.

"Don't move." Willow's voice hissed it was cold and angry and right beside Buffy's left ear. "I'll kill you if you so much as take another step towards her."

Buffy couldn't even stop herself to register it was Willow as she dipped down coming back up to pin the redhead by the throat to the wall.

Hearing the slight scuffle Owl ran headlong into the room

"BUFFY!" She called loudly smacking the wall in several places for a light switch. Suddenly her hand collided with it bathing the room in a bright yellow light.

"Willow." Buffy flinched and pulled back when she realized whom it was she was choking.

"Buffy!" Willow squeaked through a choked cough.

"We tried to phone... we thought you'd been hurt." Buffy tried to explain looking back at the bed where Tara was sitting up looking shocked and afraid.

"I'm taking it that she should be in a bedroom with her." Owl pointed between Tara and Willow. "And now, I am going to back out of the room, trying to be inconspicuous." She added back tracking towards the door.

"Are you both okay?" Buffy questioned again.

Willow looked over at Tara and fought the urge to race over and sit on the bed.

"Baby?" She asked her voice slightly shaky.

"I'm f-f-fine." Tara nodded.

"I'm sorry... we couldn't get a hold of either of you or Giles and a new potential got into town." Buffy began then frowned. "Oh course She's now dead and Quan Lee died at the hospital." She relayed her voice growing weaker. "I was afraid the First..." She didn't finish.

"Oh." Willow's voice was small.

"Wanting to help…" Owl appeared in the doorway carrying a phone in her hand, the connector in her other hand. "I think someone unplugged it." She said awkwardly.

"Willow, Tara..." Buffy pointed to them in turn. "This is Owl."

Owl juggled the phone and the wire into one hand and waved with the other.

"Hi." She said with an attempt at a smile.

"Hi." Willow looked at the tall girl.

"Hello." Tara tried a smile in return as she pulled the covers up more her eyes heavy and her mind not able to take another shock.

"Since you're okay, we'll go out and try to figure out where Giles is." Buffy backed up reaching out to pull Owl with her.

"Buffy!" Willow pushed off the bed and walked towards the retreating Slayer. "Do you... I mean the others, are they okay?" She asked with a frown.

"A little worse for wear, they got a call that a potential was arriving at the bus station. Bringers were there en mass to meet them. Xander's a bit mushy but he'll be fine." Buffy hung explaining.

"I'm sorry." Willow looked down.

"Will, it's not your fault." Buffy shook her head. "Your place is here." She underlined glancing over at Tara.

"But I should have been there to help..." She stopped and looked with Buffy. "Do you think she's okay?" She whispered biting her lip slightly as she looked back at Buffy.

"She might need you to help her understand what's going on Will." Buffy whispered back to her best friend. "We'll be outside if you need us okay?"

"But Buffy…" Willow reached out and closed her pale hand around Buffy's arm the Slayer could see it was shaking slightly. Buffy stopped and reached up putting her hand over Willow's. "I've been thinking…" Willow whispered. "About everything." The redhead looked up and there was real fear in her eyes.

"Talk to her, give her time." Buffy urged softly.

"But Buffy if Tara went away after the spell... that means she never..." Willow's brow creased.

"She never a lot of things Willow." The Slayer pointed out. "But that doesn't mean she won't want to be with you."

"But what if she doesn't?" Willow frowned more. "What if she doesn't and I'm here all, you know smothering and everything."

"Give her time, she'll tell you what she wants and doesn't want." Buffy encouraged rubbing her hand against Willow's. "She just came home to a huge shock, I mean we're all freaked out enough to know it wasn't her all these months. She came back thinking she'd have to see how she fit into your life again, now she finds out you've been dealing with this."

"So I should stay?" Willow asked honestly.

"Did she say she didn't want you too?" Buffy questioned glancing back where the exhausted blonde had all but gone to sleep again.

"She's not really said a lot." Willow admitted. "Well no, she has." She changed her reply. "But we can wait until morning to talk about that."

"Just give her time." Buffy encouraged.

"Thank you for coming to check on us, sorry about the threat." She added with a meek smile.

"Sorry about the reaction." Buffy smiled back. "You need anything?"

"I have her." Willow sighed. "I have everything."

"I'm glad she's back." Buffy nodded.

"Don't go to wild on Giles when you find him." Willow moved back slightly.

The comment actually made Buffy smirk as she retreated out of the bedroom, closing the door behind them giving the pair a returned peace and quiet.

"She seemed, stable." Owl raised her eyebrow sarcastically as she hung by the front door.

"You're new in town so you get one freebie." Buffy turned to her voice cold. "Don't make cracks about Willow or Tara, off limits."

"Sorry." Owl apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean anything by it, I mean I'm guessing Sunnydale isn't the most lesbian friendly place or something?" The tall girl offered a reason for Willow's behavior.

"Up until about four hours ago Willow thought that Tara had died in her arms nine months ago." Buffy filled in walking further into the living room.

"Oh." Owl glanced at the closed bedroom door her demeanor changing completely. "Sorry." She added quietly.

"Don't worry about it, just ease on the Willow cracks please." Buffy moved over to the window looking out at the dark street. "She's been through a lot, more than just thinking Tara was dead."

"I would offer to go and try and find your Giles, so you can stay and you know watch over them but I've not got a clue who I'm looking for." She smiled tightly.

"Giles can handle himself and if he'd have known either of you were getting in tonight he would have told me." Buffy looked back at the younger girl. "We'll give him a few more minutes then take a tour."

Just a few moments later, an out of breath Giles ran up to the front door wielding a bread stick.

"Funny Giles, but we don't have any butter." Buffy scowled at him as he surveyed the room.

"I thought you were marauders" Giles lowered the bread stick and pushed his glasses back up his nose with the other.

"Marrwhaters?" The Slayer looked at him confused.

"Marauders, house invaders." He shook his head. "Really Buffy this is no time to be ob... Who are you?" He turned staring at Owl.

"Then we're even I thought you were dead." Buffy snapped at him.

"Dead? Why would I be dead?" He glanced over his shoulder at Buffy before turning his attention back to the taller girl.

"Bringers attack, two new potentials... now two more dead potentials. That's Owl by the way." Buffy filled him in unhappily. "We couldn't get a hold of you or Willow. Crazy me thought maybe you'd been attacked."

"I went to get the girls some provisions, and I unplugged the phone so that they wouldn't be disturbed." Giles explained frowning. "Did you say Owl?" He added looking between the Slayer and the potential.

"Yes Owl, who managed to keep herself alive no thanks to us." Buffy rather disappointedly sat down in a chair.

"No I meant more," He turned back to the potential. "I thought you and Shanti had resigned."

"Things change." Owl replied her voice low.

"Giles you know her?" Buffy perked up a bit surprised.

"Well not exactly." The Watcher put down the shopping bags he carried.

"Not exactly in the what exactly way?" Buffy pushed.

"Well go on, you might as well answer her." Owl backed up a little moving towards the door. "In fact you probably don't need me around to explain do you?"

"Owl wait." Buffy stood up calling the potential to a halt. "Giles, is she or is she not a potential?"

"Oh yes, she is a potential." Giles nodded making Buffy stared at him boring a hole in him till he gave her more information.

"I'm leaving." Owl said quietly.

"No, you're not." Buffy shook her head.

"You can't make me stay." Owl growled in a sharp reaction her dark eyes flicking up and catching Buffy's.

"Look Owl you've already been attacked tonight, can't we make this whole 'I'm better than you thing' easier by you just staying put till Giles takes his foot out of his mouth and tells me what the Hell is going on here." Buffy urged her tightly.

"Is Shanti at the house?" Giles turned to look at the potential as she paused in the doorway.

"I'm not doing this." Owl pushed up from her place and stalked out.

"Giles, who the hell is Shanti?" Buffy snapped at him seeing her leave.

"Buffy." Giles turned and looked at the angry Slayer. "Shanti is Owl's watcher, she was one of the new watchers, young, dynamic, the next model Wesley." He replied.

"Could you be any more of an ass sometimes?" Buffy growled as soon as she got her answer. "Owl's watcher is dead!"

"Oh dear lord." Giles looked down.

"I have to go after her." Buffy stomped to the door.

"Buffy before you do." Giles stopped her and she stared at him waiting for a reason for the delay. "You need to know…" He stood somewhat awkwardly looking at her.

"Need to know?" She prompted him.

"Shanti resigned from the Council some months ago." He began cryptically.

"Reason Giles?" She snorted.

Giles took a tight breath before answer, turning his gaze to the door and the recently departed potential.

"Owl." He said in a low serious voice.

"Owl's watcher resigned because of her?" Buffy quirked an eyebrow not quite understanding what he was getting at.

Without saying anything else Giles eyes shifted across the room and looked directly at the bedroom door.

"Oh my God can my life get any worse." Buffy's voice was tired as she slammed the door closed behind her and ran down the hall.

She knew that if Owl got to the bike then she'd have no way of catching her, so instead of heading to the underground she headed to the road and worked her way back cutting off the bike's exit.

"Owl!" She tried to scream as the potential revved the engine trying to get her to move out of the way. Owl pulled on her helmet and stared at Buffy

"Get out of the way." She waved her free hand at her.

"I can't let you go off on your own." Buffy screamed back. "Look Giles is British, he doesn't always know the right time to say something."

"Something's don't have a right time." Owl replied revving the engine.

"I know!" Buffy tried to speak above the roar. "But getting yourself killed isn't helping anything."

"So what are you suggesting I do?" Owl let the engine die down into a low rumble.

"You came here for a reason, to fight the thing that sent the Bringers." Buffy walked closer. "Help me fight the First."

"Cause you need help from an ex potential." Owl watched her.

"There is no ex anything in this war... there is evil and there is us. We're the only thing standing between evil and the rest of the world." Buffy spelled out for her.

"If I supposed to give a damn about the rest of the world, you're looking at the wrong potential." Owl pushed her hand back through her shoulder length hair.

"Then make it pay for killing her." Buffy walked closer.

"Don't." Owl warned letting the bike roll back a little.

"If you didn't care you wouldn't have come all the way here to find us." Buffy pointed out bringing her feet together to stand still.

"I didn't come here to find you." Owl retorted.

"Then why are you here?" Buffy had to ask the question.

"To kill it." Owl replied clearly.

"Then you did come to find me, because the only way you're going to kill it is if we work together." Buffy's voice was just as clear her response quick.

"Did he tell you everything?" Owl seemed to ease ever so slightly.

"No." Buffy shook her head.

"Probably for the best." The Potential shrugged.

"Why don't you tell me?" Buffy urged her.

"I didn't come here to pour my heart out I came her to kill the bastards that murdered her." Owl shook her head defiantly.

"When Willow thought Tara was dead she tried to blow up the world." Buffy didn't know why but she blurted it out.

"Why didn't she?" Owl looked at her amused. "If I could have I would have."

"Because I think she realized that was the last thing Tara would have wanted." The Slayer tried to fill in.

"Do you need to hang around here?" Owl glanced back at the tall building.

"No." Buffy shook her head.

"I can give you a lift back to the house." She offered.

"Give us a helmet then." Buffy reluctantly held out her hand.

"If you don't want a ride you don't have to agree." She saw the Slayer's resistance.

"Just don't kill us." Buffy hopped over the back of the bike and clipped the helmet closed.

"I don't die until I've done what I came here to do." Owl vowed before pushing her helmet back on her head and pumping down the engine hard to make the bike skid slightly as she pulled away.

-x-


	6. Chapter 6

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Six.**

Tara moved silently through Xander's apartment, snoring lightly on the couch was Giles. His glasses on the floor by his relaxed hand narrowly missing a half filled cup of tea next to them. It was still quite dull, but Tara's body was still on European time and so she was up early

She crept over and picked up a folded blanket off the chair and gently draped it over the Watcher before slipping into the kitchen and putting the kettle on to boil. She smiled at the fresh vase of flowers and the bread that Giles had left on the side.

Enjoying the moment of solitude she leaned forward and sniffed the vase of while carnations.

"You're up early." Willow whispered from the doorway watching as the blonde smiled after inhaling the sweet fragrance.

"Part of me is still in Florence." Tara turned in her place and looked at Willow.

"Was it beautiful?" The redhead leaned against the doorframe.

"Very." Tara nodded.

"I hope you got lots of pictures." Willow managed a slight smile as she tried her best to make the idle awkward conversation. She remembered another time it had felt like this when she'd been at the coffee shop the memory making her sad.

"Perhaps we'll go there together someday." Tara offered softly.

"You still..." Willow breathed in the words almost giving them a sharp pitch though she couldn't voice the complete question.

"I never stopped." Tara replied not moving,

"I am s-so-o sorry for every hurting you." Willow whispered the words her breath heavy as her eyes brimmed up with tears.

"This isn't the time to talk about that." Tara shook her head. "So much has happened to you, to you all since then." There was an obvious trace of self-hatred that slipped into the blonde's voice

"No... I'm still sorry... for everything I did, for everything I let happen, for every time I hurt you." Willow stepped closer.

"I'm the one who let terrible things happen to you all." Tara watched her steps.

"No baby, the First is pure evil." Willow hissed its name. "You didn't do anything wrong, you didn't know what it had done and... and you came home."

"I had to." Tara gave the honest reply.

"This is your home." Willow whispered moving a little bit closer.

"Perhaps." Tara nodded. "I had to find out if it was my home anymore."

"Do you think it is?" The redhead asked trying to hide her own desperation.

"Is it?" Tara caught green eyes.

"It is." Willow nodded.

"Willow." Tara breathed "I have to be honest with you." She jumped slightly as the kettle beside her boiled.

"What?" Willow flinched at the sudden almost explosive rumbling noise.

"When I decided to come back…" She glanced at the kettle. The redhead felt herself seize up as Tara spoke. "I didn't do it to come back to you." Tara swallowed almost painfully. "That is." She added. "I didn't expect you to just be here, waiting for me."

"Not waiting for you?" Willow asked the question having gone through a gamut of emotions that almost made her combust where she was standing.

"I left you Willow." Tara reminded her. "I didn't know what happened here in whilst I was away, I had to… I had to prepare myself for coming back and finding you... not alone." She swallowed again.

"It wouldn't matter who on earth I was with... if you came back I would want you." Willow underlined putting her hand on the counter. "I thought you were gone forever and all I wanted was you." She took a deep breath.

"And the m-m-magic?" Tara heard herself stutter.

"I... I'm... it got so bad when I lost you." Willow looked away.

"Buffy told me about… about what you did." Tara admitted.

"He killed you." Willow finally felt the flood of tears swelling over her cheeks. "He took away my whole life, any chance of our forever."

"Why didn't she stop you?" Tara whispered.

"Buffy?" Willow looked to her to check for a moment. "He shot her too." She breathed in through her nose. "She... I used the magic to pull the bullet out of her."

"You saved her life." Tara realized what Willow was saying.

"Not for the right reasons." Willow slumped a bit against the counter. "I was already overloaded on the dark magick... it was just about making him pay."

"But not now." Tara looked at her old lover. "I can tell, just looking at you."

"I still have lots and lots of power but I'm controlling it. I want to control it." Willow whispered looking back at her.

"That's good." She breathed back.

"I got clean for you." Willow met blue eyes with green.

"So you wanted me back?" Tara clarified. "I wasn't sure when you didn't write back to me."

"You wrote me?" Willow looked at her in shock.

"Yes, before I left, well when I left." Tara nodded. "Candice was meant to…" She stopped. "She didn't give it to you did she?" She stated the obvious.

"I never got anything." Willow shook her head firmly. "I would... I would have wrote you... I would have tried to get you to stay..." She floundered at the idea of what she had missed out on.

"Which is why you never got the chance." Tara worked out the plan with a sad shake of her head.

"Baby if you being in Florence meant you were safe from the First..." Willow shook her head to the idea as she stepped closer. "I need you safe more than anything."

"That's why I had to come back, to check that you were okay and that you were safe." Tara admitted softly. "That Buffy, someone was taking care of you."

"They've been trying." Willow offered. "But they're not you, no one is you."

"No." Tara smiled slightly, "But someone has tried? A special someone." She asked, feeling her heart quicken a little.

"Some one has tried to be special... but she's not you." Willow shook her head firmly. "She could never have been... ever."

"But is she... do you?" Tara found herself frown.

"No! Oh no, no." Willow shook her head over and over. "There was this thing a little while ago when Amy put a hex on me, she helped me get rid of it but no!" She was adamant.

"So maybe, you and I?" Tara's eyes flicked up to meet green.

"I have forever open." Willow put in hopefully.

"Forever." Tara tried to breathe, but found it strangely hard. Her emotions choking her throat as Willow nodded and moved closer.

"Ah girls you're awake." Giles' voice called from the door.

Tara jumped again pulling her eyes from Willow to stare at him a little surprised

"Giles." Willow jumped turning to press Tara behind her protectively.

"Good morning to you too Willow." He raised an eyebrow at the strange move.

"Mr. Giles." Tara looked at the Watcher. "You bought flowers and things." The watcher smiled pleased that as he expected Tara had noticed the little things. "I feel terrible for saying this but…"

"But?" Giles frowned.

"Well there's no butter." Tara glanced at the fridge. "I was going to make toast for everyone, but..."

"Oh." Giles frowned again. "I thought Xander used... he must have used it. Not to worry, I'll go and get some." He smiled. "Perhaps you would like something else for breakfast, I remember you developed a keen liking for the donuts the rest of the gang seem to be so fond of at ungodly hours of the morning."

"Donuts, crispy creams." Willow piped in.

"I missed donuts." Tara nodded in agreement.

"Donuts it is." Giles moved quickly to the door.

"Expresso would be good too." Willow threw in hoping to delay him more.

With a small wave of his hand Giles acknowledged the added order and slipped out.

"He has the worst timing in the universe." Willow whispered turning back to Tara.

"Makes a change from it being Xander." Tara felt a soft smile pull at her lips as the familiar interruption made her feel that little bit more at home. She could hardly remember a time when they didn't find themselves interrupted by one Scooby or another.

"I think it's a boy thing." Willow felt herself pulled to smile just from seeing Tara's.

"Your lip doesn't look too sore." Tara had top stop from reaching out and placing her fingertips on the lip that yesterday the redhead had been biting.

"It's okay... I have lip balm." Willow subconsciously licked her lips.

"What flavor?" Tara queried watching as the redhead's tongue slid out of her mouth briefly.

"Cherry." She filled in absently. "Dawn lent me it."

"She's so tall." Tara smiled a little saddened by the idea.

"She's missed you so much." Willow underlined.

"I missed her too, they have ice-cream in Italy she would sell her soul for." Tara smiled more.

"Maybe one day we can take her." Willow felt drawn a bit closer and Tara felt her eyes flicker up tracing every inch of Willow's face. "I missed you so much." The redhead whispered as blue eyes came to rest looking into green ones again.

"You have a sore spot." Tara lifted a trembling finger and rested it close to the corner of Willow's mouth. Willow's body released a visible tremor when Tara's fingertip touched her. "Oh, sorry." Tara pulled her hand back misreading Willow's reaction.

"No." Willow reached out her reflexes much faster than they had ever been to catch Tara's hand, her fingers pressing lightly into her pulse point. "Electric." She whispered shivering again when she felt Tara's heartbeat.

"Willow." Tara gasped at both the speed with which Willow had caught her hand and at the jump and heat that flared in her body from the touch.

"Electric." Willow whispered again concentrating on the pulse through her fingers.

"I..." Tara blinked. "I love you." She whispered the words that had been on the tip of her tongue for so long.

"I love you." The redhead whispered back almost immediately.

Tara swallowed feeling her lip and chin tremble slightly but she wanted to fight the tears.

"I..." Willow wanted to say so very much but as she saw the beginnings of tears she could only reach up cupping Tara's cheek with her other hand. "I love you." She whispered again leaning closer.

"I was going to leave." Tara whispered ashamed. "When Buffy told me." She heard her voice shake. "W-W-When she told me what had happened. I th-th-though it might be better for you. If what you believed was true."

"My heart died when I lost you." Willow shook her head to the horrible idea.

"I traveled Europe hoping that I could find something to fill the hole." She looked down at Willow. "But nothing could."

"Only you." Willow whispered.

"Always you." Tara nodded.

"I..." Willow hesitated for a moment before drawing Tara's hand up and kissing it reverently.

"I want..." Tara managed another word.

"To…" Willow looked deep into blue eyes.

"Kiss you." Tara breathed loosing herself in green.

"Please." Willow breathed out with her.

Tara slid her hand onto Willow's cheek and eased it around, cupping the back of her head lightly to draw it up slightly as she bent her own down tilting to press their lips together.

Willow wasn't sure if she was going to manage to stay on her feet as the soft lips that she had never thought she would get to ever taste again pressed against her and baptized her in love.

Pulling back briefly Tara breathed before kissing Willow again, this time her lips open to capture Willow's bottom lip lightly before releasing it and meshing their mouths together again. The kiss made the whole world spin around them as everything was lost to them other than the touch. Pulling back again Tara smoothed the hand on Willow's head over longer red hair.

"Willow, oh God Willow." She breathed before pressing lips full onto the redhead's.

"Tara." Willow managed to moan her name before pressing back into the kiss, her hand went to the blonde's waist pulling her closer.

"I didn't know what I was going to do." Tara admitted between hot quick kisses onto Willow's lips. "If when I got back you were with someone."

"No one but you." Willow kissed her back over and over.

"But you're so..." Tara breathed. "So beautiful." She pressed Willow into a deep kiss wanting to take both their breath away.

"You're my everything." Willow vowed breaking for just a moment before kissing her back hotly.

"Giles will be back soon." Tara took a hurry breath glancing up the large faced clock on the wall.

"I need you." The redhead whispered almost silently not thinking to check her words.

"Now?" Tara breathed her voice lower and deeper than usual.

"If... not if you..." A thread of the very core of Willow's usually lacking confidence crept in.

"That wasn't really a question Willow." Tara tilted her head and gave a classically lopsided smile.

"Oh." Willow bit her lip and her head dipped just briefly before coming back up.

"Now is good." She leaned forward draw magnetically to kiss the blonde again.

Breathing after the long kiss, Tara pulled back and looked down moving her hand into the redhead's and interlocking their fingers. Slowly she looked up at Willow with what could only be described as her best 'come to bed eyes'.

"The bedroom?" She whispered.

The redhead nodded squeezing Tara's hand as she reluctantly took a step back hoping that the blonde would mirror her moves. Tara moved after her, step for step.

Willow didn't want to say a word to break the spell that was around them as they walked the short distance back to the bedroom and locking the door behind them went quickly over to the bed.

"Are you okay?" Willow questioned seeing the moment of hesitation in the blonde as she stood at the foot of the mattress.

"Are you sure?" Tara's blue eyes flicked to the bed, knowing all the things that it could bring and that she wanted so very badly.

"Yes." Willow breathed out the word that seemed so laden with want and desire it almost left a plume of smoke when it combusted in the air.

"Me too." Tara nodded her hand moving to undo the top button on her shirt.

"Let me." Willow reached up to cover Tara's hand.

"Would you?" Tara looked up as if Willow had offered her the world on a plate instead of just the simple action.

"Anything." Willow licked her lips as she found the button with her fingertips and slid it through, slowly she moved down to the others each step revealing more and more of Tara's body. The blonde amused herself by reaching up and curling her fingers around the bottom of red hair, twisting it round and round to soak in the silky feel.

"It's longer." Willow pointed out softly as she found the last button.

"It is." Tara nodded that she'd noticed. "It's beautiful. You're beautiful."

Willow smiled softly as she pushed the material of the shirt back to reveal a light floral slightly see through bra and the pink hued skin of the blonde's tummy. She wasn't sure if Tara could see that inside her stomach twisted in anticipation, the response added to by the wave of new endorphins that rushed through her bloodstream. Tara blushed a little as she saw Willow's eyes trace and focus over her body.

"Though not as beautiful as you." She reached out with a light finger and traced the thicker flowered edge that slid around the pushed up swell of Tara's breast and then dipped down low into her cleavage.

"It's from Paris." Tara breathed out hotly.

"It's very..." Willow swallowed as she traced up the other side noting the silkiness of the material even though it didn't appear to be actually made of silk. "Sexy." The word again came out hot and smoky.

"I..." Tara paused. "I… bought you one." She blushed as she made the admittance.

"Oh baby did you?" Willow shivered for a moment, her utter joy at the idea that the blonde had been thinking of her, had well been alive to think of her almost overwhelming the hot passion that was heating her body.

"Yours is blue." The blonde explained.

"You like me in blue." Willow whispered stepping closer as her fingers sprayed out over the light material easily transferring through to the blonde's lightly tanned skin.

"I do." Tara nodded breathing in, her eyes dipping closed as she breathed in the soft smell of Willow's hair. "Do you like the tan?" She asked her voice shaking a little.

"Tara you don't have tan lines?" The redhead's eyes lit up slightly as she caressed her fingers back and forth.

"Private beach." She whispered feeling herself go redder with the memory of her boldness.

"God you are so amazing." Willow stepped closer as her hand closed over the blonde's breast at the same time their open mouths met.

Tara literally whimpered as they kissed sliding her hand over Willow's shoulder onto her back as she stepped forward and drew Willow closer still. Willow kissed her for a long moment before she pulled back, dipping down her head so that she could place a line of kissed up Tara's throat.

"I feel like I'm in a dream." She whispered kissing the blonde's ear.

"It's not a dream sweetie." Tara shook her head tenderly. "I'm really here, you're really here, we still have forever." She breathed back her fingertips caressing Willow's cheek lightly.

"Forever." Willow pulled back looking into blue eyes as she tipped her cheek against the blonde's fingertips.

"I-I-If you still want…" Tara stuttered as she felt the reality of the world crash in for a brief moment.

"It's all I ever wanted, all I ever need." Willow whispered leaning down to kiss her again. "When I didn't have you baby I was empty inside."

"So was I." Tara nodded. "Can I…" She stopped as she ran her hand over across the bottom of Willow's top.

"Please Tara." Willow whimpered as a stray finger touched the flesh on her stomach, there was nothing she wanted more right now then for the blonde to peel off her clothes so that she could be naked before her.

"Of course." Tara slid her hands up Willow's side, dragging the tight fitting material with her she eased it up over Willow's head and then down her arms gently dropping it onto the bed. She moved her hand back to flick red hair neatly over the soft freckled shoulder.

"Too skinny?" Willow felt much more exposed now standing there in the rather skimpy cotton bra.

"You've not been eating have you." Tara commented sympathetically as she curled the ends of red hair again.

"Not a lot." She shook her head slightly her chin tipping down a bit. "I couldn't... with the magic and then... you were gone, nothing had any taste."

"I could make you pancakes." Tara smirked softly, she tried not to focus on the overwhelming effect that her leaving had forced on her lover, it was just too heartbreaking.

"You're special pancakes?" Willow smiled back at her.

"Of course." Tara's smile grew.

"Mmmm but later right?" Willow slid her hands around to Tara's back.

"Yes, much later." Tara draped her arms around Willow's neck gazing into her eyes.

"I love you." Willow vowed.

"I missed you so much my love." Tara nodded breathing in her body trembling a little.

"You could never know how much I missed you." Willow took a breath in synch, her hands rather automatically sliding down to trace around the belt at Tara's waist moving to undo the leather.

"I had to go." Tara breathed as she resumed stroking her hand over Willow's locks.

"I know, I know baby. You going that's not, it was what I thought had happened to you." Willow shook her head trying to melt the ideas in her brain. If all of this had played out as Tara had thought, if she'd gotten a letter to say where Tara was going and why then Willow knew now she could have dealt with that. She could have waited and got the magic in control all in anticipation of her return. What she had gone through because of the First was something else entirely.

"I wish... I wish I could have saved you." Tara breathed.

"You have, you did, the moment you came back to town." Willow underlined holding her closer. "The moment I saw you this nightmare stopped."

"Did it?" Tara looked softly into her eyes.

"You're alive angel, that's all I have wanted since this horror started. To have you still love me was something I couldn't even wish for." Willow cuddled against her.

"Of course I still love you Willow, I remember once telling you I didn't fall in love fast and I didn't fall easily but I did fall into it with you." Tara slid her hand under Willow's chin and tilted it gentle pressing her mouth against the soft one so close to her.

The kiss sent a shot of electric through Willow's body making her feel more alive than she had in months. Breaking the kiss Tara immediately repeated it latching lightly to Willow's lips one at a time before kissing her fully over both lips.

As their kisses became more needy and conversation fell away again Willow's hand managed to finally pull Tara's belt open and then undid the metal button beneath. Tara slid her hand down and around Willow's ass, gently stroking over the soft material literally hanging off the redhead's tiny body.

"Bed?" Willow managed to mumble the word between meetings of their mouths.

"Yes." Tara nodded taking a step away from Willow, letting her pants slide down her long legs before stepping out of them carefully and kneeling on the bed.

"Should I?" Willow's hand went to the material at her hips.

"Please." Tara nodded her blue eyes sparkling.

Quickly she undid the laces of her cords and then let them slide down off her body before she too moved onto the bed on her knees.

"I have to feed you pancakes." Tara said softly as she reached out to touch the bony curve of the redhead's hip.

"Oh... sorry." Willow looked down a bit embarrassed at how tiny she'd become.

"No need for sorry." Tara shook her head. "Just lots of need for pancakes and snuggles."

"Both are my favorites." Willow moved closer feeling better about herself. If Tara had a plan to fix things then things would get fixed, she believed in that.

"And you're still beautiful." Tara underlined easing from her knees down to lie down on her side.

"Just too skinny?" Willow followed her down facing her.

"A little thin." Tara nodded. "But I think I put on a few pounds." She ran her hand over the pale cream panties over her hips.

"Not an ounce." Willow's hand chased up to sit over the same area caressing her thigh. "Still gorgeous." She whispered feeling the heat her fingers pressed into the blonde's skin.

"Through your eyes." Tara glanced down to where Willow's fingertips touched her.

"You are." Willow vowed running her hand lower.

"I've seen so many amazing things over the last year, paintings, sculptures, and Goddess listen to me." Tara shook her head. "I mean this Willow, I couldn't look at any of them without think that none of them were true beauty, because you're the only thing that is." She ran her hand around Willow's collarbone. "I've met amazing people, been propositioned by a few." She smirked, thinking of them fleetingly. "But all of them, only made me miss you more." She looked into green eyes.

"Only a few? Stupid Europeans." Willow smirked back.

"Well a lot of them are very reserved." Tara blushed.

"Stupid Europeans." The redhead repeated her hand running down Tara's leg.

"Apart from the Italians." Tara blushed more and tipped her head a little gazing at Willow. "Who can't resist propositioning any foreigner I think."

"Because you are so beautiful how could they resist." Willow pressed closer wanting to feel the heat of their bodies together.

"But I'm yours." Tara pressed back moaning softly as her leg pressed lightly against Willow's.

"And I'm yours." Willow agreed pulling her hand to urge Tara's leg over hers.

Breathing out Tara slid her leg over Willow and pushed her whole body up slightly to brush against her lover's. Willow's form shivered from the contact and arched as her hand slid around to the small of Tara's back. The blonde concentrated on sliding her leg softly up and down over Willow's, her back arching slightly as it was caressed.

"Does it feel like you've been away now?" Willow whispered leaning in to kiss her bare shoulder.

"Not for a minute." Tara shook her head as her body flooded with memories and feelings that made her remember what home was.

"I want to touch you." Willow pointed out rather obviously as her hand stroked down Tara's back.

"You are." Tara chuckled. "It unhooks easily." She added feeling the redhead's fingers sliding over the material.

"Oh this?" Willow twisted her fingers and rather more than easily the clips flicked open and the bra dropped to hang looser around Tara's body.

"Innate skill from my breast gal." Tara winked and slid the straps down her arms and eased the now useless bra off.

"It's my gift." Willow grinned.

"Do you know just how kissable you are looking right now?" Tara shook her head smiling.

"Must not be I'm not being kissed." Willow whispered licking her lips.

"Vixen." Tara blinked and pressed her lips over Willow's, sliding her hand up the thin girl's side. Willow's head swam as they kissed again, the liquid centre of her body flooding as they fell deeper into the mattress together. "Oh Willow." She breathed as the laid against each other on their sides. She smoothed her leg up Willow's again and slid her hand along the back of the bra still encompassing Willow's chest.

"I love you." Willow breathed back dipping to pave wet kisses over the blonde's shoulder and collarbone.

"Yes." Tara agreed as she eased over onto her back, guiding Willow up and over her.

Willow instantly settled into the new position, her legs straddling Tara's as she dipped her head lower kissing over tanned breasts to reach peaking nipples. Tara moaned slightly louder and arched her back to Willow's lips, her hands sliding up and down over her thighs and hips.

"Did you want to go slower?" Willow checked a bit breathless as she pressed her hips down against Tara's thighs while her mouth ravaged the blonde's breasts.

"No." Tara shook her head. "No slow, I've not touched you for eleven months Willow." She ran her hand shakily over Willow's hips. "I need you." She heard her voice growling out of the back of her throat.

"Me too, just checking." Willow's words were short, as her tongue was too busy flicking and licking over the blonde's nipples and breasts to waste effort on the words.

"Checking is fine" Tara nodded a little breathlessly. Willow groaned her agreement as she kissed lower over the blonde's stomach down towards pale panties. "I missed you so much." She slid her hand up Willow's back as the redhead moved lower, her other hand running lightly through red hair.

Willow nodded her agreement against the blonde's hip as she drew lower and placed her lips over the darkened patch of cotton right at the apex of Tara's legs. Tara pushed her body up to Willow's lips sighing softly, her hand clutching red hair lightly.

"Mmmm Tara." Willow moaned to herself as the taste and smell confirmed everything to her dulled senses. She pressed her lips in tighter, flicking her tongue against the material to draw more of the seeping wetness out into her mouth.

"Sweetie." Tara breathed tightening her grip on silken locks slightly. Willow moaned again in question as she pressed deeper against the fabric. "Off." Tara panted tightly. "Take them." She breathed heavily. "Off." She tipped her head lightly to the side, nuzzling into the pillow.

Willow pulled back just enough to yank the material down off Tara's body before she cupped her hands around the blonde's knees and spread her legs back open. Tara breathed out deeply as her legs slipped apart over the sheets her back arching gently.

"They're off." The redhead soothed as pressed back with her lips to dart her tongue out over the droplets that clung to the outside of Tara's flesh.

"Yes." Tara acknowledged breathlessly, her hips rolling slowly.

Drinking in every drop, Willow pressed the tip of her tongue deeper, opening up the wet swells that poised within swollen lips ready to spill out.

"Baby." Tara pressed her head back into the pillow breathing in and out through her mouth.

The only response she got was another moan as a warm tongue quested in further finally pressing against Tara's centre, lapping the juices that settled on it away to press directly on hot skin.

"Oh sweet heaven." Tara moaned pushing her head to the side as her hand gripped Willow's hair tighter still, her other hand carving out the line of Willow's shoulder blade.

Feeling the pressure on her scalp, the redhead pressed her face in closer drawing her tongue down to the source of the flood while her nose pressed in against Tara's sensitive centre. Tara's hips flared in a soundless response of pleasure and delight, her legs tensing slightly as one slid up bending at the knee to help push her body up to Willow.

Greedily Willow had almost licked everywhere she could clean before she pressed her tongue in deeper, drawing out more of Tara's sweetness for her to devour. Tara pushed up with more rhythm her breath shorter and shallower.

Press for push Willow delved her tongue into Tara's body, her hand coming up to caress Tara's thigh before moving inward spreading the blonde more open so she could press deeper.

Tara felt the muscles of her inner thighs tremble in a spasm, caught between tensing and relaxing as Willow brought her unspeakable pleasure. She eased the grip she held on Willow's head and changed it to soft but rapid strokes matching her breathing and hip movements.

"That's it." Willow pulled back her lips just long enough to blow out the words over hot flushed skin.

"I... Oh GOD WILLOW I LOVE YOU." Tara's thighs tensed as she pushed hard up with her hips.

Willow let her hit the peak of the arch before she moved closer her lips closing over her pulsing centre to suck lightly. Tara's cries became a jumble of moans, and pleas to her lover as she pressed up shoulders into the mattress lifting her hips further as her eyes fluttering closed. The move made Willow lose her grip so she pulled back blowing out a cool stream of air onto the flesh before her.

"Baby." Tara groaned her hips still moving on automatic.

"Love." Willow slipped her lips back into place rolling her tongue to tease the hood of flesh back into the nerves it tried to shield.

"I love you." Tara panted more than pleased to once again have Willow's tongue and lips touching her.

Willow moaned the words out against her as she teased with her tongue. Tara felt her body slip back into the rhythm again, her hips rising and falling with the flicking over her centre, her body sweating lightly as she bucked over and over off the bed.

"That's it baby." Willow groaned as she slid her fingers in more gliding them over her hot flesh before she put her tongue back in place.

"Yessss." Tara gasped as her hips double bucked increasing their pace.

Willow's finger slid over the hard flesh followed by her tongue before she passed back the other way, her movements jolted by the hard bucking of Tara's hips. Tara felt herself tremble at Willow's touches, never before since they had parted had she felt so complete, so happy, so loved.

Wanting more, needing more Willow slipped her fingers lower as her lips closed again sucking harder, wet and slippery she eased two of them into Tara's body as her hips bucked up again.

"WILLOW." Tara pushed up a little panting hard, her blue eyes flaring as she looked down at her lover between her legs. "Yes, baby yes." She did her best to control the hard roll in her hips.

Green eyes flicked open and up to confirm for a minute before she concentrated again on the stroke of her fingers and the tension in the flesh under her lips.

"Willow baby." Tara pressed her hand down seeking Willow's other hand and after a few moments Willow's hand entwined with the blonde's.

Tara's eyes dipped closed again as their fingers slipped beside one another and she eased their palms together. Panting louder and faster as she relaxed into their love making again. Willow felt every change between them, every nuance in Tara's body as she rose higher and higher to release.

Tara knew that Willow could feel her body changing, preparing to tip over the edge of pleasure into ecstasy she let herself loll back onto the bed her fingers gripping Willow's hand even tighter as panted every breath.

Willow pushed each of her motions and movements to be faster and harder wanted to drive Tara onto the release they both craved.

Literally throbbing with anticipation and build up, Tara's almost overloaded body tensed, her muscles locking around Willow hard and tight as her back arched and her breath was drawn sharply into her lungs. Willow pressed in deeper as she did, her lips sucking harder to ease her over the ridge of pleasure.

"BABY!" Tara cried loud and hard as her body toppled over into blissful oblivion, her back and muscles relaxing and releasing in a hot flood of pleasure.

Willow's body shook as she groaned and worked her mouth to lap up all that she could as Tara's body rumbled underneath her.

Panting and jerking almost uncontrollably Tara's body eventually sagged still on the bed. Her breathing ragged and shallow her fingers gripping Willow's almost painfully tight even after she relaxed.

Willow slowly licked as she withdrew her fingers and then slowly eased up over Tara's body again.

"I love you." She whispered kissing the blonde's cheek.

"Oh Willow." Tara wrapped her arm around Willow's back holding her tightly to her, kissing her back. "I love you too sweetie."

"Mmmm you're so beautiful." Willow snuggled down, their bodies pressed together.

"I'm so..." Tara panted and snuggled back. "Out of shape." She chuckled.

"You're perfect." Willow kissed her shoulder. "Botachelli hips." She kissed warm flesh again.

"You're amazing." Tara's eyes brimmed with happiness as she kissed the crown of red hair.

"Not as much as you." Willow looked up smiling at her.

"More than me." Tara shook her head looking down at her.

"You try to convince me of that as you lay here radiant?" Willow shook her head.

"I'm radiant?" Tara felt herself blush.

"Like the sun." Willow leaned up and kissed her.

"I feel as hot as the sun." Tara admitted Running her hand over Willow's arm.

"You're sexy hot too." Willow grinned brightly.

"So are you." Tara smirked lopsidedly.

"I never tasted anything as yummy as you." Willow whispered kissing her again.

"You should try real Italian ice-cream." Tara kissed Willow's nose.

"Mmmm not as good as you." The redhead shook her head.

"Well I did mean as dessert." Tara smirked again sexily.

"Can I slather it over you?" Willow wiggled her eyebrows and Tara tipped her head back and laughed softly.

"Messy." She pointed out kissing Willow's nose again.

"Can't be messier then the spray cream and Baileys missy." Willow squeezed her hand making the blonde laugh harder.

"Well we did have to dye the sheets after that night!" She squeezed Willow to her.

"Hmmm I remember." Willow snuggled into the blonde's body.

"I never did like the green colour they turned out." Tara laughed to herself as she pulled the top sheet over them.

"Penny's has these new rainbow stripe ones I though you'd love." Willow sighed as she squeezed Tara's body. "We could buy them now." She added quietly.

"Rainbow stripe, how perfect." Tara breathed out.

"I love you." Willow breathed in.

"I know." Tara nodded. "I... I love you too so very much." She straightened her leg under the sheet and cuddled Willow closer. "I was so worried you wouldn't want me." She admitted stroking her hand over and over Willow's arm.

"How could you even think that?" Willow looked up shaking her head. "Tara, I have never not wanted you. Even when you left, when you moved out... I wanted you, I just didn't know how to get you back yet."

"But I shouldn't have tried to make you choose." Tara shook her head. "It should never have been about magick or me, it should have been about how I could help you with the gift and power you have. I… I just got scared."

"It was scary." Willow assured her softly. "It's still scary sometimes, but I know now what I have to do with it. That I have to control it, just like you said all along, you helped me see that baby."

"But I didn't help you do learn that." Tara looked a little ashamedly at her lover. "And that was almost as bad as what happened in the first place. I was as wrong and as at fault for leaving you alone Willow when you most needed me."

"Tara, you did what you had to do." Willow held her closer. "All that happened, all the horrible things the First has put me through aren't your fault. I don't really understand all of it yet but I do know that no matter what it did it couldn't ever make me stop loving you."

"Willow, I probably shouldn't ask you this but… did you… is there somewhere… a…" Tara just couldn't ask as a cold shiver hitting her spine.

"Yes." Willow tucked her head down closing her eyes.

"Here?" Tara squeaked. "In Sunnydale."

"Near where Buffy..." Willow looked up at her with sad eyes.

"You wanted me here." Tara hugged Willow tighter. "Thank you." She breathed out relieved by the news.

"Where else would I?" Willow was confused. "I didn't want to let you go baby, I couldn't."

"No baby no, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I just wondered if maybe my Father... Oh Goddess." Tara suddenly went pale. "D-D-D-Did you t-t-tell my Dad?"

"The police did." Willow frowned more.

"Did he come?" Tara almost didn't want to know.

"With your cousin Beth." Willow nodded shaking a bit.

"He wasn't mean to you was he?" Tara held her lover tight, forgetting that it might have been just too tight.

"It doesn't matter now baby, you're alive." The redhead hugged her back.

"I'm so sorry." Tara pressed her lips to Willow's head over and over. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Willow felt her heart flutter with each kiss.

"There is so much I have to ask you." Tara rocked her lover lightly.

"You can ask me anything, I don't ever want to hide anything from you." The redhead vowed wanting to have the strength to always be honest this time.

"It can wait." Tara shook her head and stroked Willow's back gently as she pulled the blankets up around them more. "I just want to hold you, to be with you right now." She underlined gently.

"I like that." A soft voice confirmed.

"The stroking?" Tara asked as she repeated the gentle action. "Or the holding and wanting to be with you?"

"All three." Willow acknowledged with a soft relaxing sigh.

"Anything else you like?" Tara asked leaning her head and kissing Willow's forehead.

"Marry me." Willow suddenly leaned up and looked at her seriously. "I never want to lose you again."

"What?" Tara coughed as she stared at Willow.

"Marry me." Willow said again leaning more upright. "Today, right now... I never want to be apart from you again."

"Willow…" Tara felt her face break into the brightest smile. "I don't even think we can." She heard a laugh break from her lungs. "I don't even think its possible in California. I don't know, I'm just guessing but…" She beamed at Willow. "You really want to marry me?" She asked her brow a little furrowed, her lips a crooked smile.

"Yes, I really want too and I don't care what California allows." Willow shook her head. "We ask the Goddess for blessing, we pledge to each other. Paper is just paper."

"Or we could wait." Tara caught hold of Willow's hand. "Wait until all this is over, maybe go to England. Giles said you made friends with a Coven there and that they helped you." She offered her blue eyes sparkling.

"There is, they did help me lots to get more in control... to see how I was a part of everything." Willow nodded smiling back. "But you want to?"

"Want to?" Tara laughed. "Of course I want to, Goddess Willow I love you." She pulled the redhead into a bear hug.

"I love you too." Willow's voice was muffled from where her face was pressed into Tara's breast.

"I wish we could do it today." Tara relaxed her grip realizing that she was more or less smothering her lover.

"We can do a pledge." Willow thought up immediately. "To show that we mean it, that we want to... to link ourselves together."

"And maybe swap something." Tara sat up. "Something, oh I don't know what." She tried to think quickly.

"Rings?" Willow thought of the traditional.

"I don't have any, no… no wait I do." Tara gave Willow the quickest kiss, and slipped out of the bed. Completely naked she dashed out into the living room and picked up her knapsack carrying it back in to the bedroom.

She pulled open the front pocket and pulled out a small leather purse. Tipping out its contents into her hand, Tara separated from the earrings and necklaces in it a small silver ring.

"It was my mothers." She dropped everything apart from the ring onto the floor and climbed back onto the bed.

"I don't..." Willow looked at her as she crawled back into bed. "Have anything."

"Yes you do." Tara shook her head. "You have dolphin ring." She grinned. "The ring I bought you from the fun fair, you remember, with the little blue dolphin on it, you put it on your keys because you didn't want to lose it and you were going through your grown up phase." She tilted her head and tried her best Willow impression.

"Oh yes my very short lived grown up phase." Willow giggled and scrambled off the bed over to the chair to where her coat was.

"We're scrambling around Xander's apartment naked." Tara sat back on the bed watching her chuckling.

"Payback." Willow giggled as she retrieved her keys and came back on the bed. "One dolphin ring." She unhooked it from her rainbow key ring.

"Should we have clothes on or anything?" Tara looked a little worried for a moment as she sat crossed legged opposite Willow.

"No naked is best for this type of pledge don't you think? I mean all the naked Amazonian traditions." Willow mused looking over Tara's body.

"Wouldn't we have to shoot an arrow or something then?" She looked at Willow's face beaming.

"Hold on." Willow grinned as she scrambled again leaning over the bed to soon come back with a loaded crossbow. "Xander has that thing about being bitten in his sleep, he's had one since high school."

"Does one of us fire it, the other retrieve it or something?" Tara sat back a little on her haunches clapping. "Or do we break it in half and each keep half?"

"Fire, retrieve half and half?" Willow bit her lip.

"Perfect. Oh wait." Tara put her hand up.

"We should fire it together." Willow added at the same time.

"Just what I was about to say." She laughed. "Oh and…" She slipped off the bed again and dashed back through to the lounge this time holding her arm over her chest more for comfort than anything.

"Bouncy breasts!" Willow teased giggling.

"Willow!" Tara laughed as she returned carrying a greeting card, on the front of it was a painting of a bird but its tail was made up of real feathers. Carefully she eased off two of the feathers and dropped the card on the floor. "These are from pigeons in St. Marks Square." She climbed back onto the bed and tucked a feather behind Willow's ear. "Now you're a real amazon." She beamed.

"Wow you find the coolest stuff." Willow took the other and tucked it into Tara's hair.

"Don't suppose you know any Amazon pledges off the top of your head?" Tara snuggled closer and looked at the crossbow lying between them.

"To thee Artemis we pledge our hearts and our souls together, to fight for love and honour, to protect the gifts of the forest and all of your bounty." Willow whispered holding the bow with her right hand.

"How do you know so much?" Tara whispered kissing Willow's cheek as she moved her left hand to it and squeezed her finger around Willow's on the trigger.

"Geek." Willow grinned as she squeezed too and the arrow shot off lodging in the wall opposite. "Good sign?" She tilted her head.

"Perfect, Should we go get it?" She flicked her glance back at the wall.

"I guess we..." Willow didn't get to finish her sentence as the arrow started to shake and with a slight squeak pulled back out of the drywall. Tipping so the point was straight up it floated back and hovered in front of them. "Are you doing that?" The redhead's voice was a surprised whisper.

Tara shook her head watching as the arrow instead of coming to rest in front of them made a slight cracking sound and split down the centre. It didn't break in the middle as one might have expected, but rather sliced in two to create two almost identical half arrows that then dropped silently onto the bed.

"I think someone just gave us her blessing." Willow turned towards the blonde and reached up to cup her cheek, Tara in turned cupped Willow's. "I love you Tara." She whispered leaning in to kiss her.

"I love you." Tara echoed, closing her eyes and then her lips over Willow's. "My forever." She whispered, laying her mother's silver ring in the palm of her other hand and holding it out to Willow.

"My always." Willow offered her dolphin ring.

"I don't want to let go." Tara spoke of her hand on the redhead's cheek that she knew she would have to remove it to put the ring on her lover's finger.

"Here we can do this." Willow turned her hand over palming the ring and then slipping it up to put it on Tara's finger, slipping it down her pinkie.

Tara managed to repeat the motion and slip the silver buckle ring onto Willow's middle finger. She then pressed their lips together again and was met enthusiastically by the redhead.

"Wow." Pulling back Tara gazed into Willow's eyes.

"Double wow." Willow smiled at her.

Tara looked down at the bed and picked up one shard of Arrow, she looked at it and drew in a breath.

"Willow look." She said pointing to the thin flat shaft.

"What?" Willow turned to see what she was pointing too. In the wood almost burned or etched was a word in script. "Xulon?" She whispered picking up the other half to see if there was anything there.

"Tree, it's ancient Greek so it must be your half." Tara beamed. "Tree, Willow."

"Cool, Artemis has a sense of humour." Willow smiled. "Astron." She pointed out the other word on the other half of the shaft. "What's that mean?"

"In Greek it means Star." Tara shrugged slightly. "I can't think…" She looked a little bemused for a moment

"Tara." Willow filled in remembering how they'd looked up their names once on a website. "Tara means star too."

"Must be my half then." She grinned.

"I think we're supposed to keep each others halves." Willow looked at how they had fallen.

"Like keeping each others hearts." Tara looked from Willow's hand up her arm to her face.

"Exactly." Willow nodded. "Keeping each other safe and happy."

"Forever and always." Tara nodded. "I think." She sat up a little and began gently removing things off the bed laying their arrows carefully on the floor and just dropping the cross bow off the side with a thump. "That Amazons would seal the vow another way too." She reached up and took Willow's feather from behind her ear and put it carefully on the side.

"Mmmm how would they my Amazon Princess?" Willow shivered as Tara looked at her, just the gaze in the blonde's eye made her feel more and more turned on.

"Well all the books I read about them suggested they were rather…" She paused and retrieved her own feather, drawing it lightly over Willow's breast before pulling it back. "Passionate." She finished looking up sultrily.

"Now I know why they used feathers all the time." Willow shivered her skin tingling as the nipple on that breast quickly puckered up hard.

"Of course I am basing all my knowledge on weeks and week of watching Xena."

Tara giggled as she leaned forward and kissed Willow's collar bone her hand sneakily move to trace the feather up Willow's side.

"Xena was very good, they did..." Willow shivered more. "Research."

"I just liked it for the outfits." Tara giggled more as she drew a slow figure eight around Willow's breasts.

"And you had a huge crush on Gabrielle." Willow drew in a slow breath as her body arched.

"Yes when she was a redhead, rather than the blonde. Wait how did you know that I never told you!" Tara pulled back a little and stared at Willow grinning.

"You used to drool and you made me program your VCR to catch all the different times it was on in the middle of the night so you could watch them during the day." Willow giggled at Tara's shock.

"But I might have liked Xena or Aphrodite." Tara pointed out.

"You got the magazine when Gabrielle had the full centre spread." Willow giggled more.

"You let me put it up on the wall." Tara challenged back.

"It was a cute picture." Willow grinned.

"You see you liked her too." Tara pointed the feather at her lover.

"I didn't say I didn't." Willow giggled. "But I liked her blonde."

"Were they an item or not?" Tara asked the question grinning.

"Totally." Willow rolled her eyes. "They so should have gotten together."

"Oh in my version of the story they did, the last fifteen minutes of the last episode, it never happened." She pointed out her voice deadly serious.

"What fifteen minutes?" Willow's face went blank.

"The fifteen I always said they cut because they were having first time snuggles."

Tara grinned and twirled the feather between her fingers.

"Can't have that on tape, need their privacy." Willow nodded licking her lips as she watched what Tara was doing.

"That's right I mean some Amazon rituals should be kept private." She leaned forward a little still twirling the feather.

"Very private." Willow nodded her voice going lower.

"I want to seal our vow my Xulon." Tara whispered pressing her body closer

"Yes, my Astron. Please make love to me." Willow moaned arching up to meet her.

-x-


	7. Chapter 7

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Seven.**

Giles pulled at the front of his dark green sweater and flicked a speck of lint off it as before he reached out and pressed the doorbell of the Summers house for the second time.

"Hello Mr. Giles." Vi opened the door with a smile and let him in. "You're just in time for breakfast."

"Am I, well that's good." Giles looked up and held up the small collection of two coffees and a small bag of donuts he held in is free hand. "I have an offering." He added as he stepped inside.

"Great we all are dying for..." Buffy looked at what he had. "I get one of the coffees." She called dibs quickly grabbing one. "But did you really expect us to split it?"

"Well if I'm honest no." Giles looked down briefly and pulled off his glasses cleaning them somewhat hurriedly.

"Is everything okay?" She raised an eyebrow looking back to give everyone a glare that made them clear out into the kitchen.

"Yes, yes, I think one would describe everything as fine." He replied trying a quick smile as he slipped his glasses back into place.

"How fine?" Buffy raised an eyebrow taking a sip of what she then discovered to be a barely warm coffee.

"Well Tara got up early this morning, she appreciated her flowers." Giles pointed out with a genuine and yet somehow still awkward smile.

"Great, I'm sure it's been a lot for her to take in all at once." Buffy nodded.

"Yes, though I noticed her and Willow seemed a little tense when I met them both in the kitchen. I decided to give them a little time, picking up donuts and coffee you see." He pointed to the two items on the side.

"They have a lot to talk about." Buffy nodded pulling her legs up under her as she settled into the couch.

"Yes." Giles looked down clearing his throat.

"Giles, I'm getting funny vibe from you." Buffy looked at him curiously. "Is everything okay?"

"No, not funny." He looked up and again tried to smile but instead managed to look exactly how he really felt, which was embarrassed.

"How come you didn't bring this to them?" Buffy put one and one together somewhat.

"Well I did you see." Giles explained. "Tara had said the apartment needed butter, and so I got that as well and..." The Englishman's cheeks turned a little scarlet.

"Giles did you go back and they were?" Buffy leaned forward someone excitedly.

"I'm not sure I am going to be able to look Tara in the eye for a few days." He cleared his throat again.

"Pervert, you should have knocked." Buffy scowled at him. "Walking into a bedroom Giles, that is not cool." She shook her head.

"I did not go into the bedroom Buffy, I assure you I went no further than the entrance hall." Giles looked up horrified.

"Oh." Buffy blushed. "Sorry."

"I nearly left these for them to..." He stopped embarrassed all over again. "But I didn't want them to realize I had heard them. I'm going to stop talk now." He shook his head.

"I can't believe she's back, that she never died." Buffy looked down into the cup with a bemused smile. "I mean it's totally good but what do we do now? How do we deal with the First if it has that kind of power?"

"Whose back?" Kennedy strolled down the stairs and moved in to grab the donut bag. She pulled it open and took out one with a frosted coating. She looked between the Watcher and the Slayer when no one answered. "Did I come in at a bad time?" She turned and only then noticed the empty room.

"Um no Kennedy you should probably sit down." Buffy frowned and looked at Giles.

"The First, something big and bad? Or oh God its not the hospital, I've only just surfaced I've no idea how..." Kennedy frowned as she glanced between Buffy and Giles some more.

"Wow, two lots of bad news." Buffy reluctantly put her coffee down. "She didn't make it Kennedy, the damage was too much." Kennedy's head dipped and the young woman put down her donut. "It's not your fault though, you tried your best." Buffy reached out and patted her arm.

"I…" She took a breath. "I thought maybe that had happened, it looked real bad." She tried to control her reaction.

"We did have good news last night though." Buffy went on softly.

"Well hey, we need it." Kennedy tried to smile. "I'm all ears."

"Tara's alive." Buffy didn't know how else to say it. For a moment Kennedy just laughed and then she looked at the Slayer seeing that she was attempting to be serious.

"The First? It's trying to hurt Willow again." Her face crumpled into a frown. "Why cant it just leave her the f..." She stopped herself. "Alone." She finished.

"This is Tara, the thing that died was a shadow the First put in her place. Tara is alive Kennedy." She tried to stress all that it meant without saying anything out loud.

"But she can't be, I mean Warren shot her, did we all miss the whole freak out session?" Kennedy looked wildly between Giles and Buffy to see if this was some how a test.

"The First is capable of great power Kennedy, we've discovered it used this power months ago to create a copy of Tara, to infiltrate the group." Giles explained more to her.

"But how, how do you know that this is Tara?" Kennedy pushed back shaking her head.

"Giles did a check with a magic stick, it's her." Buffy watched her move. "Kennedy I'm sorry, I know..." She didn't finish.

"A stick." Kennedy stared at her and backed away more. "You do some crazy magical crap and you say its her?" She growled. "Have you left her with Willow?" She added her eyes hardening. "You have haven't you." She pushed around Giles.

"Kennedy we've left Willow with Tara." Buffy tracked after her.

In a quick move the SIT threw back the lid of the weapons chest and grabbed the first thing she could get her hand around.

"I wouldn't leave Willow with just anyone." Buffy came after her and stopped when she saw the potential with the sword.

"Yeah right, you're all too blind to see it, you all just want her back because some how she's gonna make it all better. This isn't a story things don't work out like that." Kennedy snapped as she pointed the sword at Buffy and began backing towards the door.

"Kennedy put the sword down." Buffy stared at her moving closer to the potential.

"No, I have to save Willow." She backed up more her hand reaching out closing around the keys to Owl's bike that were on the side.

"From Tara?" Buffy shook her head.

"From the First." She growled.

"Kennedy don't do something stupid right now." Buffy moved closer to her.

"I'm the only one that's not." Dipping the sword she turned and pulled open the door running out onto the path towards Owl's bike.

"You're making me do this." Buffy scowled as she raced after the potential. "Come back in the house Kennedy." She warned in a solid tone.

"I have to save her." Kennedy slammed the sword down on the lock and chain that was wrapped around the Harley's wheel to lock it in place.

"HOLY SHIT!" Owl's voice screeched from the top floor window. Inside the house angry footsteps bounced down the stairs coming to a halt at the door as the older potential stopped.

"She's already saved." Buffy reached out grabbing Kennedy's hand to stop another strike and wretched it till the sword fell to the ground. "Owl I'm dealing with this!" She yelled before Owl could leave the porch. Right now she wanted to calm Kennedy down and not have a fistfight between her and Owl making this worse.

"Let me go." Kennedy tugged.

"Not till you listen to me." Buffy didn't let her go. "It's Tara, not the First. We have checked and double checked."

"You've been brain washed." Kennedy spat at her.

"I know how you feel about Willow." She dropped her voice lower. "But it can't happen now." She whispered pained.

"She... I... I saved her." Kennedy faltered.

"You broke a hex Kennedy." Buffy shook her head. "This isn't a fairy tale."

"They shouldn't be alone, even if it is Tara." Kennedy refused to give in.

"Come back in the house." Buffy let go and slipped her hand around the potential body to guide her.

"Who's gonna go guard them?" Kennedy found her feet shuffling forward.

"I'll go over." Buffy assured her.

"Now." Kennedy pushed.

"As soon as you go in the house." Buffy nodded happy when Owl at least stepped back out of the way. "I'll take the sword."

"I'm thinking I'm missing something." Owl glanced at Dawn who had appeared beside her as the pair slipped by.

"Kennedy has this huge massive crush on Willow." Dawn frowned. "They were sort of dating I guess."

"But Willow's kinda taken, saw the smooches with my own eyes." Owl replied hushed.

"You saw smooches?" Dawn couldn't hide her excitement.

"Well no, not smooches, but you know. They, her and the blonde, looked kinda, well you know..." Owl stopped. "Are you even old enough to hear this?" She queried with a frown.

"God you are as snarky as Buffy." Dawn rolled her eyes and walked away.

"Okay now she's locked in her room." Buffy came back down the stairs and sighed. "I'm sorry about the bike thing." She reached Owl at the bottom.

"It's okay, its seen worse." She glanced up the stairs. "Want me to sit watch?"

"No, I think she's okay. Just needs to get her head around the fact Tara's back." Buffy frowned. "Not great news for her prospective love life."

"Well I guess she's gonna learn the big rule today, she's a potential and we don't have lives, let alone love ones." Owl stretched out her long body not at all conscious of only wearing boxers and her tank top.

"Sorry?" Buffy watched her move and then realized she hadn't heard a word the young woman had said.

"Nothing I was jut being cynical." Owl shook her head. "Go on tell me about how I'm too young for it." She reached out and patted Buffy lightly on the upper arm, before squeezing past her to go through to the kitchen.

"Yeah, way too young." Buffy shook her head and closed the front door.

-x-

Willow straightened out the pillows on the bed, wishing now she'd bought Xander something better than the Hawaiian shirt she'd gotten him for Christmas so that she wouldn't have to be putting a set of ram rusty grey sheets on the bed now. Happily though she plumped up the pillows and turned down the comforter before she moved back to the mirror fixing her hair slightly. Slowly she made her way to the window, drawing back the heavier curtains but making sure that the lighter sheers were still in place to shield them from the outside world. A very adamant call from the Slayer earlier had stressed that they stay inside and out of sight for now, something Willow was more than happy to abide with. She didn't want the 'real' world pressing in on them right now. She needed time. Time to just be with Tara and forget about all the hell she had lived through the last few months.

"A perfect bath sweetie." Tara stepped into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around her body with another one around her shoulders that she rubbed against her hair occasionally.

"Well I do my best with only a bargain spice rack and some regular soap." Willow grinned and walked over to her. Tara looped her arms around Willow's neck and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"We have light." She glanced at the open curtains.

"Just a little so that we don't blow our cover." Willow giggled and reached up putting her arms around Tara's waist.

"Our cover?" Tara frowned gently, but shouldn't stop a smile at her giggling lover.

"Buffy phoned, she wants us to stay in and lay low for a bit until they can figure out a bit more what's going on with the First." Willow admitted not wanting to dim their mood.

"I think we can cope with the prescription." Tara kissed the redhead's nose. "You?"

"Definitely. I took a look in the kitchen, we don't have the stuff for pancakes but we could make French toast." Willow smiled under the kiss.

"Why don't I look after cooking, while you settle on the couch, maybe put some music on, Xander said he had candles." The blonde kissed her again.

"Mmmm sounds perfect." Willow kissed her back softly.

"We are." Tara sighed contently.

"We could see if there is a good movie on, snuggle up and watch it." Willow added looking into blue eyes.

"Can I take your name?" Tara breathed softly and gazed adoringly at Willow.

"My name?" The redhead questioned not quite catching up to the question.

"Rosenberg." Tara clarified, watching Willow's mind trying to work out what she was asking.

"You'd want my name?" Willow's eyes went wider at the idea.

"Tara Rosenberg, don't you think it has a ring? I mean I know legally probably we can't, but you know, legal doesn't make any difference to what we want to do, does it?" Tara gave a slightly hopeful smile.

"It doesn't mean a thing." Willow leaned in and kissed over the blonde's happy lips. "I love you Tara Rosenberg."

"I love you too." Tara snuggled closer.

"Mmmm you know we might never get to the kitchen." Willow kissed her cheek softly and then placed more soft kisses towards her ear.

"You need munchies." Tara slid her hand down, and slipped it between them rubbing it over Willow's tummy.

"I'm only hungry for one thing." Willow grinned as Tara rubbed her skin.

"Mmmm French toast?" Tara teased.

"Not quite." The redhead pressed her hand over Tara's and massaged her thumb into the blonde's wrist.

"But you made the bed." Tara glanced over Willow's head to the bed beyond.

"I can remake it." Willow teased stroking up Tara's arm.

"The towel's not that secure." Tara eased the side of her mouth into a brighter smile.

"So if I..." Willow reached up and flicked the edge rather easily making it slide open.

"It would just fall down." Moving her hips slightly as the towel slid away.

"Which would completely put French toast on hold." Willow looked down admiring the curves of Tara's sun kissed body. "For awhile." She urged Tara back towards the bed with her.

"Don't think you are getting out of eating." Tara let herself be led.

"I'm not." Willow shook her head seriously. "I promise to eat twice as much after." She sat down immediately pressing her lips to Tara's stomach, the height difference putting her at the perfect level.

"Twice as much." Tara arched an eyebrow.

Willow groaned her agreement as she passed her tongue across Tara's stomach. Tara felt the muscles of her belly flutter under Willow's tongue, her body that had calmed a little in the bath flared with a renewed passion. Small kisses traced Tara's hip and then dipped across her stomach again. Tara tried her best to keep her hips and lower body still, but finding she couldn't she glided them slowly left to right. Seeing her difficulty, Willow slipped back and urged the blonde to lie down. As soon as Tara was settled she went back to lavishing her torso with kisses.

"I can't resist you fresh out of the bath." Willow kissed down each of her thighs and then kissed back up her stomach.

"I remember several Saturdays when we got stuck in the bath, snuggle, bath circle." Tara admitted with a sly smile.

"My favourite day of the week." Willow kissed up between round breasts.

"Oh I don't know, you liked Sundays too." Tara reminded her.

"Mmmm Sunday's meant whipped cream and marshmallows." Willow grinned as she kissed towards a stiffening peak.

"And Baileys." She reminded them of the earlier mention.

"That was your favourite." Willow reminded as well. "Something about an after dinner drink."

"Exactly." Tara reached and stroked Willow's hair.

"I love you." Willow leaned looking into blue eyes. "So much baby." For the first time since initially seeing the blonde again Willow felt herself become completely overwhelmed as her eyes went glassy with emotion. "So much." She whispered her words thick.

"I know." Tara nodded and eased Willow up to come and lay against her as she enclosed her arms around the slim redhead. "You can cry if you want sweetie." She whispered pressing her lips against Willow's head.

"I don't want to cry." Willow's lip trembled as she pressed into the arms that held her. "I don't want to think about it, none of it was real."

"I know, I'm just saying, if you want to you can." Tara pointed out. "And even though none of it was real, it still happened, to you." She soothed.

"How come you can always do that?" Willow hugged closer as she felt the tears coming down her cheeks.

"Do what?" Tara ran her hands over Willow tenderly her voice whispering.

"Make me feel safe, like the rest of the world can't hurt us." Willow rubbed her wet cheek into Tara's shoulder. "I was so scared without you."

"I think its because…" Tara dropped a kiss onto Willow's head again. "Because I love you, love all of you and I believe that we were meant to be together." She stroked over and over. "I was scared all my life before I met you Willow." She assured her. "But the day you faced my father, the day you held my head in your hand and loved me despite my lies, his lies." She breathed. "I knew then, with you, I had nothing to be afraid of again."

"You're so brave." Willow sniffled.

"Not without you I'm not, I'm just shy stuttering Tara." The blonde shook her head.

"No, no you're not. You're a gorgeous, beautiful, intelligent thoughtful gorgeous woman." Willow looked up reassuring her.

"So are you." Tara replied without blinking.

"No, I'm nothing... not compared to you." She shook her head. "You're everything."

"I'm not going to take that Willow, you never used to take it from me." Tara shook her head.

"But it's true." Willow whispered. "I became horrible when I lost you."

"You did a spell that went wrong." Tara repeated the words Willow had used while defending her two years earlier.

"It hurt so much to lose you." Willow admitted her voice honest and scared. "I know I probably shouldn't be thinking about it because you're here and you're alive and you want me and everything's going to be okay now." She babbled slightly, trying to convince herself her outburst was totally unwarranted.

"That's why you can think about it sweetie, because I am here. I am with you, it can't hurt you anymore, you can talk about it all you like and I will still be here holding you when you've done talking, when the crying and the shaking stop, I'll still be right here." Tara whispered not letting her run away from her feelings.

"I love you baby. I love you so much." Willow leaned closer kissing her so tenderly.

"So do you want to talk about it?" Tara urged but didn't push.

"I... I don't want to make you feel sad." Willow curled against her a thousand things whirling around her mind.

"Willow," Tara stopped their gentle motion and tilted the redhead's head up to look at her. "What hurt you, hurt me, what affects you, affects me. I'm sad if you are even if I don't know exactly why, all I'm offering is the chance to maybe help." She smiled tenderly.

"It felt like I had died with you." Willow blinked her eyes filling with tears the second time.

"How did it happen?" Tara asked holding Willow supportively as they began.

-x-

Kennedy stamped her way into the kitchen and yanked the fridge open pulling out a can of soda. She clicked it open and began chugging it. When she had muttered a bit and finished off the can she threw it in the garbage and stalked back into the living room. She looked at the television not really seeing what was on.

"You could have gotten us all one." Rona grumbled from her place on the couch.

"Maybe you should get off your ass and get one yourself." Kennedy kicked the coffee table a little making Rona's feet fall from their place leaned against it.

"Leave her Rona." Molly warned quietly glancing at the dark haired SIT.

"You know that type of attitude isn't going to keep you alive when the First comes to get you." Kennedy barked at her passivity.

"She was sticking up for you so I'd shut up if I were you." Owl said in a low tone, looking up from her game of chess with Dawn in the corner.

"Oh and what do you know about anything?" Kennedy whirled around at the new voice. "Coming in here on your big bike with your big attitude like you're better than all of us."

"I know you should sit down and drink another pop." Owl sighed softly.

"You gonna make me?" Kennedy slipped her weight back staring at the other brunette.

Owl glanced up at Dawn and mouthed the word 'Sorry' before shifting in her chair to look up at Kennedy.

"Sit down and calm down, I know you're feeling crap and tense, but you don't want to do anything dumb." She informed her.

"You don't know anything about what I feel." Kennedy reached out and poked her in the shoulder.

The taller girl watched as the small finger jabbed into the dark gray fabric of her T-shirt.

"Don't do that again." She warned clearly.

"Do what?" Rather defiantly Kennedy reached out and went to poke her again.

"Kennedy don't." Molly inched forward on her chair.

"Why, big bad attitude girl going to take me out?" Kennedy finished the move contacting her finger into Owl's shoulder again.

Owl's hand flashed out and gripped tightly around Kennedy's wrist, she linked her dark eyes to the other potentials.

"Listen to your friend little girl." She warned again.

"Make me." Kennedy twisted her wrist to free her hand as her other came up as a fist.

"You wan to make something of this fine, but I'm warning you… don't." Owl kept her tone calm but it tuned icy cold.

"Why you going to stare me to death?" Kennedy pulled her arm free finally.

"Would you rather I split your lip and laid you out?" Owl arched a dark eyebrow.

"What makes you think you won't be the one on your ass?" Kennedy hissed back.

"You really aren't going to give in on this are you." Slowly Owl pushed up to stand and shoved back the long sleeves on her T-shirt.

"Just cause you ride a Harley doesn't mean you aren't low on the totem pole." Kennedy stood her ground when Owl stood up.

"You want to try and talk to her some more?" Owl's eyes flicked over to Molly.

"She doesn't mean it." Molly got up moving over. "Come on Kennedy, we can go in the basement and you can show me some training stuff." She went to take the angry SIT's arm.

"Molly, get off!" Kennedy flicked out her arm to block the attempt but rather accidentally caused Molly's own hand to go back and smack her in the head.

"Hey don't hurt someone who's saving your skin." Owl shook her head gently.

Kennedy saw Molly holding her cheek and heard the nasty comment from her side and before she knew it she turned cocking back her arm and snapped off a right hook at the taller SIT.

The badly aimed but hard punch connected with Owl's chin causing her to flinch her head back a little cursing under her breath.

"Let this go." Owl growled trying to calm the inner flare reaction just to flatten the younger woman.

"BUFFY!" Rona managed to call for the Slayer just as Kennedy tried to hit her with another combo of punches.

Owl managed to duck the first flying fist, but caught the second mid abdomen, bending her forward slightly with a groan.

"Okay lets do this." She growled flicking her leg around catching Kennedy in the ribs with her knee.

The other brunette bent around her leg giving out a deep groan of her own, she did her best to do as she was taught absorbing the blow clawing her arms around Owl's leg trying to tip her off balance.

Owl used the smaller girl's concentration against her as she was more than stable on just her left leg, she flared her open palmed hand onto Kennedy's shoulder pushing her hard to the side

As Buffy scrambled down the stairs to arrive in the archway to the living room Kennedy was thrown sideways and bounced off the coffee table before she landed on the floor.

"What the hell is going on?" Buffy questioned harshly of everyone.

"Nothing." Dawn offered from her place.

"Really?" The Slayer looked as Kennedy coughed and pushed up as best as she could while she held her stomach. "Why does that sound like the answer you give the principal?"

Owl stood up straightening out her back and inspecting the side of her chin lightly with her fingertips.

"Kennedy slipped." Rona offered.

"And Owl and I sort of got in the way." Molly smiled despite the red scratch from her nail on her cheek. "All good."

"Yeah and the Easter Bunny is real." Buffy put her hands on her hips and looked at Kennedy with accusing eyes.

"I..." Kennedy swallowed feeling an acid taste in her throat. "Fell."

"Everything's fine." Dawn smiled again from her spot.

"Great then I'll be in the kitchen, if anyone else falls down it better really seem legit." Buffy rolled her eyes knowing there was no way to get the truth out of them.

"Really Buffy, it was an accident, hard not to trip over people I guess." Owl smiled as she sunk back down in the chair opposite Dawn.

"Well we're having a meeting tonight about arrangements, maybe then we can all stop tripping over one another." Buffy looked at her. "If any of you want ice after the fall I'll be getting it in the kitchen."

Sharing a quick round of what could only be described as guilty glances the SIT's all settled back into what they had been doing before the skirmish.

"I'll go make sure Buffy's okay." Dawn excused herself from the chess game and followed her sister into the kitchen.

Buffy calmly took a tray of ice out of the freezer and started to crack it up before dumping it in a tea towel.

"So are you now going to tell me what really happened?" She didn't look up when she heard her sister enter.

"Kennedy started a fight." Dawn whispered glancing over her shoulder before moving closer to Buffy.

"Mmmm with who?" Buffy pulled the ends of the towel into a tight ball and then smacked her fist into it crushing the cubes down.

"Well it really started with Rona." Dawn relayed. "And then Molly told her, that is Rona to back off and leave Kennedy alone and Kennedy turned on her and then Owl said to leave her, that is Molly alone and then Kennedy kinda turned on Owl."

"Who hit who first?" Buffy appreciated the honesty.

"Kennedy." Dawn admitted looking down. "Owl told her to back off like three times at least." She explained. "I just think Kennedy's having a bad day." She tried to stick up for her.

"I think Kennedy has broken heartitus which gives her a free pass just once." Buffy nodded holding out the pack. "You want to bring that too her."

"It was just a kiss." Dawn screwed her nose up slightly but took the towel.

"That's why it'll be okay in a few days. Kennedy's not a stupid girl, she'll get her head around what's going on." Buffy assured the teenager. "Does Molly need one?"

"I think it was more a nail thing, maybe antiseptic." Dawn replied.

"Can you take care of that?" Buffy asked her knowing the answer already. "I should talk to Owl and then to Kennedy once she's cooled off a bit."

Dawn nodded and slipped out, only moments later Owl came into the kitchen.

"I'm guessing you don't need a jar opening like Dawn suggested." The older potential cocked her head to one side.

"I'm pretty good with the jar opening." Buffy actually had to smile at the lame excuse. "Are you okay?" She asked finding a more serious face.

"Yeah, I'd make me feel better if you told me I don't have a red chin." She turned her head slightly for the Slayer to see.

"Let me get you some ice, I lie better with ice." Buffy put her hand up inspecting for a moment before she pulled back. "So what happened?" She asked beginning to repeat the ice pack procedure.

"She needed a bundle you know how it gets." Owl shrugged. "I figured that it was better she tried to take me out than Molly."

"A what?" Buffy questioned then began to incorporate the slang. "Oh... well no. I'd rather she didn't take shots at anyone on the good side of the Hellmouth."

"She wasn't likely to hurt me." Owl shrugged.

"You could have done more than pushed her down." Buffy pointed out as she came back holding the ice pack up to the red mark. "Thank you."

"She's scared and she's hurting." Owl moved her hand up to take over the icepack from Buffy, accidentally resting her larger hand over Buffy's "And its kinda crowded." She arched her palm letting Buffy slip her hand free.

"Yes." The Slayer did just that and nodded moving back to the sink to refill the trays. "Though we're working on that. We were thinking, well I was thinking and Giles was nodding lots." She laughed lightly. "Do you object to being posted here so to speak?"

"Posted here? You mean sticking around?" Owl questioned.

"I meant more we've found a way to spread everyone out a bit but we want the Bringers and the First to still think everyone is here-ish. For that I want to keep some of us here and since you've already taken down some of the messengers." Buffy made the offer.

"Don't mind at all, Dawn plays a mean game of chess." Owl shook her head with a shrug.

"Actually I was going to put Dawn over at the new secret location." Buffy frowned slightly. "There's an apartment that has miraculously opened in Anya's building, old tenant had a neck hemorrhage." She poked at her throat giving the real reason. "The plan is to move Willow and Tara in there to hide her being back from the First till we can figure out just why it did what it did."

"Well okay, now I'm hoping you play as well as your sister." Owl smiled.

"Twice as good." Buffy fibbed as she put the trays back in the freezer. "It's just... Dawn lived with Tara and Willow for awhile and I think its important that she spend time with Tara now that she's back." She took a deep breath. "Wow you have no idea how weird that is to say out loud."

"It must be weird." The tall girl nodded. "But great."

"Yes and yes." Buffy smiled. "How are you doing? Other than the red chin. Is there anything you need? Giles said we can get you clothes or stuff if..." She motioned uselessly.

"I have some gear." Owl shrugged. "I just kinda took off without much thought of that."

"I can't imagine." Buffy offered trying to be as gentle as she could.

"Yeah, well let's just say Kennedy needs to be grateful she caught me on a good day." She gave a tight smile.

"Somehow I get the impression you still wouldn't have cleaned the floor with her like you could have." Buffy pointed out.

"Maybe." Owl agreed with a nod. "She's just a kid, like I said, an angry scared kid."

"Aren't we all." Buffy laughed tightly and moved to get a drink out of the fridge. "You want anything?"

"Nah." She shook her head. "So when's the great move around happening?"

"Hopefully no longer than a day or two." Buffy spelled out. "Giles is trying to get the other lease straightened out."

"Hey do we get rid of the nerd?" Owl seemed to perk up a bit.

"The boys are all going to Xander's actually." Buffy nodded.

"I'm beginning to feel really sorry for Giles." Owl laughed.

"He's going to be owed big time after this." Buffy laughed with her lightly.

-x-

"My life just keeps getting better." Buffy pulled open the door and watched as Spike sidled in through the front door. "So are you chip-less?"

"Yeah, though the buggers didn't even drop me at the door, made me walk from the main road." Spike replied caustically.

"Your false attitude doesn't work with me Spike." Buffy shook her head. "Save it for scaring Andrew and the SIT's. Are you okay?" Her voice dropped a little.

"Better." Spike nodded his voice soft too. "I know you save me Buffy." He admitted. "Thank you."

"It was necessary." Buffy replied stiffly. "We have a few people for you to meet, and one of them is going to shock you."

"The First been up to more tricks?" Spike inquired.

"You won't even believe it." Buffy shook her head and closed the door behind the returning vampire.

"So how much more crowded are we?" Spike stripped off his leather duster and rubbed the edge of a white square plaster on the side of his head.

"Well that at least is something that is getting a little better in the next twenty four hours." Buffy smiled tightly as together they went through into the crowded lounge.

-x-

"My room is my room, you will have to sort something out with the spare room." Anya put her hand on her hip and looked at Kennedy, Molly and Vi who stood in the living room with rucksacks on their backs. "The couch pulls out and the bed in the spare room is a queen."

"I got the couch." Kennedy pointed out moving over to it.

"The closet and drawers are empty in the room, you'll have to put your things in their Kennedy, I can't have them littering the sitting room." Anya stated.

"That's cool." The brunette nodded trying to be somewhat accommodating.

"It's just nice to have some breathing space." Molly smiled amiably and eased her bag off her shoulder.

"Yes, this way there's only four of us fighting over the bathroom." Vi added smiling as she clutched her bag.

"So... do they need help moving stuff in Willow's place?" Kennedy tried to ask the question nonchalantly.

"Well its not on this landing, its on the one above, more expensive, nicer windows." Anya bitched subtly. "I think the boys are moving big things in for them." She added shrugging and turned to move through the living room towards the kitchen.

"Kennedy, maybe we should unpack here." Molly offered.

"The kitchen is there, if you eat anything write it down." Anya called out the instructions, "I have drawn up a list with all your names on it and columns, just write it in there." She continued completely missing the on going conversation

"Does anyone get the idea we should have pushed to stay at the house?" Kennedy frowned when she heard about the food list.

"I don't know, I like it here." Vi moved further into the room and smiled as she sunk onto the armchair. "Just think only four of us to a TV." She pointed to the flat screen TV in the corner of the room.

"And she didn't say we couldn't eat anything, just that we had to write it down." Molly flopped down on the couch.

"Oh yes about the television." Anya reappeared in he lounge. "You can of course watch it, but I have the channel I want on if I want to watch." She watched the two potentials sit down. "You can unpack any time." The former demon stared at the two abandoned bags.

"Come on guys, let's not piss her off." Kennedy slunk off with her pack towards the spare room. Nodding the other two followed.

-x-

Xander paced around looking at everyone.

"Now remember everyone, this is my apartment so..." He looked. "God trying to pick one of you to bunk with is like having a death wish."

"Well I think being the oldest, it is quite clear I should have the blow up in your room." Giles moved to pick up the rolled up plastic.

"Yeah fine but now I have to pick between him or him." Xander pointed at Andrew and Spike.

"Like we're breaking down the door to sleep with you." Spike snarled.

"Um wouldn't it be me since Spike is up at night and asleep during the day?" Andrew raised his hand.

"Fine by me Nancy boy." Spike sniffed and jumped onto the corner couch. "This is kinda comfortable, still smells all girlie in here if you know what I mean." He grinned and winked at Xander.

"Hey, don't make me tell Willow you said that." Xander glared at him.

"Like she'd care." Spike laughed. "She's all curled up in the new love shack."

"What do we want for dinner? I could make fajitas, we could have Mexican night." Andrew threw in.

"I hope you can cook better than you taste." Spike grumbled.

"Do we have to be quite so tenacious with each other?" Giles sighed shaking his head.

"I'll have you know I'm extra scrumptious." Andrew stood up and put his hands on his hips.

"Look lets all just have Mexican and blood for him and try to get along." Xander offered trying to make the peace.

"I don't see why I couldn't have stayed with Buffy." Spike continued to grouch.

"Because there are five of them there already which puts them at capacity." Xander spelled out again.

"And it wasn't a good idea before you had the chip removed Spike, it is even more of a bad idea now that you don't have it." Giles pointed out.

"Out? Out?" Andrew squeaked. "The Slayer told me he'd had it fixed." He looked at Xander.

"Oh come on calm down, fajitas." Xander shoved him towards the kitchen.

-x-

Dawn almost ran through the sparsely furnished apartment.

"This is so cool." She grinned as she slid down the hall on her socks. "It's like when we all lived together before but Buffy's alive." She grinned at Tara who was carrying towels.

"Be careful Dawnie." Tara chuckled watching the teenager's antics. "Do you want towels in your room or in the bathroom?" She added holding up some purple ones.

"Bathroom." Dawn smiled. "So you happy?"

"How could I not be." Tara smiled broadly. "Are you? I mean do you think you'll be alright staying here with us?"

"Totally, away from the house that the First comes to visit at." Dawn nodded. "I think this whole new plan could work out."

"I have to admit I'm looking forward to actually finding out more about what we're actually dealing with." Tara nodded. "That is if Willow even lets me near a book, let alone allows me to open it."

"Snuggles." Dawn grinned more and did a little dance in spot.

"Buffy's already told us to tone it down when you're around, so you don't have to worry." Tara chuckled at her little show.

"She's such a spoiled sport." The teenager rolled her eyes. "I am totally down with the snuggles, I mean in a its cool that you two. Wow I should shut up I'm starting to sound like Xander."

"Its nice to know that you understand how much Willow and I love each other and that you realize that us touching sometimes is kinda necessary." Tara felt herself blush a little.

"Yeah I get that." Dawn smiled at her. "And you have no idea how glad I am that you're back." She reached out and hugged the blonde.

"Well I have some idea." Tara hugged back. "You haven't taken the skirt off yet." She gave her a squeeze and then eased back

"This skirt rocks. I had three different jocks and a cheerleader comment on it." Dawn did a twirl. "Oh course she was jealous not flirting."

"Unlike the jocks." Tara winked.

"I hope they were." She giggled.

"I hope I've not missed out on my favourite teenagers love life too much." Tara began crossing the highly polished floor to the bathroom.

"No, it's been boring." Dawn's revelry ended quickly. "I mean especially with Buffy working at the school." She followed Tara around.

"Willow told me that." Tara glanced over her shoulder at the teenager as she reached the bathroom putting the towels into the empty cupboard under the pristine white sink. "About Buffy working at school." She clarified.

"Though I think there is something creepy about Principle Woods." Dawn leaned against the door watching. "He's just too nice you know, especially to be at

Hellmouth High."

"Are you sure that's not just because he's your principle?" Tara arched her eyebrows gently.

"No, he's weird." Dawn decided defiantly. "I think bets are he's evil."

"Perhaps I need to meet him." Tara offered closing the cupboard and pulling out three new toothbrushes, still in their packages from her jogging pants pocket.

"Which do you want." She fanned them out in her hand.

"Mmmm Willow will whine if she doesn't get the spotted one, so I take stripes." Dawn pointed at the middle one.

"You want to unwrap?" She held it out.

"Sure." Dawn took the toothbrush and wrestled to get it out of the plastic. "So how is Willow?" She asked her voice lower as she glanced down the hall where the redhead was watching over the phone technician who was putting in her hard-line for her computer.

"Up and down." Tara replied honestly as she took Willow's toothbrush effortlessly from its wrapper, slipping it into the centre slot in the yellow and white striped toothbrush holder on the sink. "How does she seem to you?"

"Better but you know, it was really sad when..." Dawn looked down slightly.

"She told me." Tara put her own toothbrush in place and put her hand on Dawn's arm. "She told me what you did for me, well the thing that wasn't me, when you found it, after the…" She stopped herself from further making a mess of the sentence. "What I'm trying to say Dawn is, thank you."

"I thought it was you, I couldn't just leave." Dawn shook her head, her doe eyes glossy. "I'm so glad it wasn't." She whispered and Tara pulled Dawn into another hug.

"I know." She assured her tenderly. "Are you sure you're okay about being here with us, well with me?" She checked again.

"Yes..." Dawn hugged her back tightly her voice squeaky. "I want to keep you safe."

"Don't think I'm going to let you get out of doing your homework and things." Tara rubbed her back.

"I missed you giving me the so your homework pout." Dawn closed her eyes as she leaned on Tara's shoulder.

"As much as you miss my pancakes?" She gathered Dawn's hair and released it over and over.

"Not that much." Dawn shook her chin against Tara's shoulder feeling safer and more secure then she had in ages.

"Do you think I should go and rescue the poor cable guy?" Tara asked happy not to move from the comfortable embrace.

"Maybe, Willow can be you know obsessive when it comes to her DSL." Dawn giggled but didn't move either.

"Buffy asked if you wanted to go there for dinner this evening." Tara remembered as reluctantly she eased back.

"Did you want me to go?" Dawn pulled back grinning.

"I don't mind either way, I have to ring her to let her know that's the only thing. She said she'd send Owl to pick you up if you said yes." Tara explained.

"It's our first night, we could make something cool and eat in the living room." Dawn mused.

"We could. There's that tuna pasta creation you're so fond of." Tara offered.

"Sounds good I'm starved." She patted her stomach.

"Dawnie it's only six o'clock." Tara laughed.

"I haven't eaten in ages." The teenager laughed and moved to drop her toothbrush into the holder.

"Go call your sister on your cell phone and tell her you won't be home." Tara advised gently.

"Yes miss." Dawn teased moving back into the hall.

Tara shook her head smiling as Dawn darted out and followed more slowly down the hall and into the lounge. Willow was holding the door open as the young technician was just leaving.

"All done sweetie?" She questioned.

"All done." Willow closed it behind him. "We are wired."

"Well that'll make you very happy." Tara reached out and dabbed Willow's nose.

"Very, I'm hard lined and ready to find any info I can." Willow smiled she stepped closer and slipped her hands on Tara's hips. Tara made the easy move to slip her hands around Willow's neck.

"I'm making tuna gunk." She tilted her head.

"Mmmm tuna gunk." Willow leaned in and kissed her lightly.

"Happy?" Tara gazed at her lover.

"Very... you?" Willow questioned back softly.

"Very." Tara nodded. "Though I think maybe Dawn out does us both."

"She missed you." Willow underlined unnecessarily.

"I think maybe we need ice-cream for dessert." Tara added the idea making her happy.

"We'll have to call Buffy she doesn't want us leaving the house remember?" Willow pointed out softly.

"Anya might have some." Tara pondered.

"We could phone and ask." Willow nodded.

"Great idea." Tara kissed Willow gently, she couldn't believe how easily life had just slipped back into this comfortable and normal routine.

"Anything else we need?" Willow whispered keeping their faces close together.

"Mmmm." Tara thought for a long moment. "Forever." She whispered back.

"It's yours." Willow moved her lips to cover Tara's mouth again kissing her tenderly.

-x-

"Wow." Amanda looked around the kitchen. Rona and Chloe were cooking, Owl was fixing drinks and Buffy came in and out carrying things to set the table. Though the last two trips in she had been chatting away on her cell phone. "It feels weird."

"That we're not tripping over one another." Chloe looked up from where she and Rona were conferring on spices.

"Exactly." Amanda nodded.

"And we don't have to cook like an army base." Rona added seriously.

"Are you sure you don't want one of the put up beds from the basement up in the room for you Rona? You don't have to share the bed when we have three down there." Owl offered as she finished pouring fruit juice into the last glass.

"No, as long as Amanda doesn't mind." Rona looked at the taller girl.

"No, I don't mind at all, its going to feel odd enough as it is at night." Amanda shook her head.

"Fair enough." Owl nodded and confidently gathered all five glasses carrying them off towards the dining room. Buffy was sitting on one of the chairs and flicked off her cell phone.

"Anything else we need?" She questioned as the tall woman set out the drinks.

"No, the slimmed down crew look kinda efficient." The potential admitted. "Am I reaching for my spare helmet?"

"No, Dawn's opted for Tuna gunk with her favourite couple." Buffy put the phone down by her plate.

"She was so hyper when I dropped her off there this morning." Owl shook her head chuckling.

"Having Tara back is like Christmas for her." Buffy smiled softly. "I can't blame her really, they... well Tara and Willow took care of her when I couldn't."

"I think its cool, that you don't have any problem with her staying with them." Owl admitted.

"Problems?" Buffy questioned not understanding.

"Well you know, Willow and Tara are lesbians, I mean everyone knows that right?" Owl suddenly found herself hoping she hadn't just shattered illusions.

"What?" Buffy stood up looking horrified. "They are what?" Instantly Owl shifted in her place and winced.

"You know I might be wrong..." She blushed and flustered.

"I mean here I thought they were just girlie on girlie action loving but know you're telling me they've embraced a title." Buffy watched her worrying and started laughing. "Owl I'm kidding." She laughed more. "We all know, old news."

"That was mean." Owl shook her head but smiled.

"No, that was me proving that I don't care who anyone I love falls in love with as long as they are happy." Buffy smiled back. "I mean okay at first I was wigged but that was just the initial shock."

"My sister wigged out big time when I told her." Owl chuckled and smiled.

"Older or younger?" Buffy sat back down near her.

"Older." Owl glanced at her.

"Is she around or..." Buffy asked the question softly.

"Around." Owl smiled at the gentle tone Buffy used. "She lives in Birmingham with her husband and two kids."

"That's great." Buffy smiled instantly. "You know if you want to call her and tell her where you are or anything." She waggled her cell phone.

"Thanks but I'd have to tell her something I'm not sure I can talk about." Owl drew in a breath.

"When you're ready." Buffy nodded her voice soft again. "You know if you need to talk or anything." She added feeling very sad for the young woman, she knew what it was to lose love and it wasn't the easiest thing to ever talk about.

"Thanks." The taller girl nodded. "How ironic is it that it took her four years to get her head around the fact that her baby sister was gay and the only reason she really got over it was Shan…" Owl didn't even manage to finish the other woman's name.

"I can't imagine how much it hurts." Buffy reached out slowly and put her hand over Owl's.

"She wouldn't want it to." Owl shook her head. "She wouldn't want me to be hurting."

"That doesn't stop it from." Buffy pointed out.

"No it doesn't." Owl agreed looking at the table and then at that hand that was over hers. "Have you ever, you know lost someone?"

"My mom to a brain tumour, Tara... well you know." She flustered. "Lots of people, in this line of work its like that."

"I still have my Mom, if you ever want one." Owl smirked.

"How did she take the gay thing?" Buffy asked slightly curiously.

"My Dad was great." Owl replied. "Mom was a little more stressed by it, but it got better when Jodie had kids. She had grandchildren to fret about."

"Regular American family." Buffy smiled.

"They're cute." Owl dug her hand into her faded jeans and pulled out her wallet. She unclipped it and flipped it open obviously intending to show Buffy a family picture. Instead she was faced by the smiling face of a slightly Asian looking girl, whose long black hair was clipped up but sent tendrils of rich black down her cheeks and in front of small ears. Dark brown eyes sparkled with love and the small soft toy she clutched in one hand proclaimed 'I love you' on his tummy.

"She's beautiful." Buffy whispered when Owl glanced to see what picture as there and stopped slightly stunned.

"She was." Owl seemed unable to tear her eyes from the small passport sized photograph.

"I'm sorry, I wish none of you had to go through this." Buffy whispered seeing how much pain was flashing over the girl's face.

"So do I." She admitted gazing at it for a long moment before easing her fingers behind it and pulling out a large picture folded into quarters, she unfolded it quickly and passed it to Buffy.

This photograph contained two people who were obviously Owl's parents, on the man's side stood Owl. Her arm around the girl in the previous photograph, on the other side stood another woman who bore more than a passing resemblance to Owl and beside in a wheel chair, was a man, no doubt her husband. He held a small toddler on his lap. On the floor, sitting in front of Owl's parents was a young girl of about four her chin up proudly in the air.

"Your nieces?" Buffy pointed to the two youngsters.

"Yes." Owl nodded. "Tanya." She pointed to the youngest. "And Lizie."

"I'm sure one day Dawnie will meet someone nice and have some kids." Buffy mused with a sigh.

"So might you." Owl took the picture back and pushed it in her wallet.

"No." Buffy shook her head leaning back after another long sigh. "I think I'm better if I concentrate on the whole fighting evil thing."

"Foods nearly ready." Amanda's voice suddenly announced from the doorway.

Owls head snapped round and looked at the SIT.

"Great." Buffy added awkwardly looking there as well.

"I'll wash up." The taller girl stood up and pushed her wallet back into her pocket, the moment slipping away into silence.

-x-

The backyard was very quiet and peaceful, those two things were part of the reason the ambience and the soft light of the crescent mood had drawn Chloe out into the night.

'Though just on the back porch.' She assured herself looking back to check the door was still open.

She hugged her hand around the cup of tea she was nursing and watched the dark clouds floating through the sky enjoying the serenity for along time before she nearly jumped out of her skin when a rustle sounded in the far bushes. Almost immediately she darted back to the door but her retreat stalled when a limping tabby cat came out of the underbrush nursing its right front paw.

"Oh poor pussy cat." Chloe put her cup down on the counter and walked outside quickly, moving without hesitation down the stairs to the grass and then more slowly as she tried not to scare the creature. "Here baby cat, let me help you." She bent down as she got within a few feet and the poor cat seemed to shy a bit more retreating away from her. "I won't hurt you." She kept her voice low as she inched forward towards it.

The small cat meowed again but came to a stop, cowering low to the ground.

"Its okay sweetie." Chloe moved down on her hands and knees, crawling forward even more holding her hand out.

The little cat's ears suddenly flattened and it breathed out a low angry hiss, baring all of its bright white sharp teeth.

"Shssssssshhh kitty." Chloe's eyes went wide at the reaction and she backed up a bit coming up to stand again. "Maybe you need some tuna, then you'll come inside."

As the young woman backed up, the cat's ears flicked back into their usual position and it took a bold limp forward.

"Please kitty-kitty, it's okay." Chloe tried to keep soothing as she backed up a bit more. "Just don't run off we need to get you to a vet."

"Hey Chloe, what you doing?" From the kitchen Owl's voice called through, though the woman didn't leave the house to follow the other potential.

"There's an injured cat." Chloe looked back to the doorway. "I'm trying to get it inside to look at its paw. Can you get some tuna?"

"Sure." There came the sounds of cupboards opening and shifting cans from beyond the open backdoor.

"There you go, Owl's going to get you some tuna, that's got to be good right." Chloe smiled at the animal.

The little cat hobbled forward again seeming this time to stumble a little as it gave a rather pathetic meow.

"Oh, please let me pick you up." She started to bend down again putting her hand out slowly to the approaching animal.

"I found salmon." Owl's voice grew louder as she came to the door looking out into the backyard as she did so. She saw the other potential more or less kneeling on the floor her upper body forward and her head stretched out. The problem was in all of this she couldn't see a cat, though her keen eyesight did catch the glint of something in the moonlight that she just couldn't make out what.

"Bring it here." Chloe flicked back with one hand urging her to come out further.

"I don't see a cat Chloe, maybe you should just come back in." Owl felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle up.

"It's right here Owl." Chloe inched her hand closer. "Its paw is bleeding, oh get me a towel too."

"Really Chloe, I don't see a cat." Owl took a step out onto the porch her face drawn into a hard frown, something just felt wrong.

"It's right here, aren't you poor kitty." Chloe fretted as with a more pathetic meow the cat collapsed to the ground in front of her. She managed to pet the cat's small head a few times relaxing it. "Let me bring it inside." She reached her hands down around the small furry body.

The came a soft click as Owl watched the SIT's hand close around something on the floor and a brief flash as a glint of shiny metal caught another stray moonbeam.

"CHLOE NO!" Owl's high-pitched scream filled the silent night air in warning but Chloe didn't see anything but the cat she was trying to rescue.

In an instant a razor thin trip wire shot up out of the grass as weights in the trees dropped cutting the blade through Chloe's throat and almost completely severing her head. The blade caught on her spinal column holding her slightly upright until the pressure of her limp body pushed it between the vertebrae and she slumped forwarded in two pieces.

"Oh God no." Owl ran out diving to the floor slipping slightly on the gushing arterial blood that was quickly spilling all around Chloe's body. "BUFFY!" She shouted her hand wrapping around Chloe's vainly.

"Wow that was easy." In a flash the First appeared as Chloe beside Owl clapping gleefully.

"You bastard, you fucking bastard!" The potential looked between the carnage and the ghost that taunted her.

"Almost as easy as your girlfriend." Chloe's face curled into a dark smile.

"You murdering piece of shit." Owl glared full of rage.

"Was this overdone? Come on you can tell me, I trust you Piper." The First stepped closer with a questioning look.

Owl dropped the corpse's hand and pushed herself to her feet, slipping and sliding in her panic to back up.

"Piper, please relax. It's not your time yet." Chloe held up her hand. "I like you, almost as much as I like Buffy. I promise to leave you for last, right before her and the other slayer. If you're really like I might kill her and let you be activated just so you can feel the rush."

The young woman's wild eyes flicked around looking for the lethal drop blade, it only took a moment to pinpoint the broad but stiletto thin arc of metal that was hidden in the grass. Throwing herself forward she gripped it in one hand hardly seeming to notice the blade pressing in to cut her flesh. With a low guttural yell she swung it around in a wide circle

"You're going to pay for this, for all of it!" She screamed at the First.

"Piper." Chloe shimmered as the blade passed through her uselessly. "You're making a scene honey. There's no need for this."

"Owl?" Buffy appeared in the backdoor her eyes shocked when she saw what was going on.

"You bastard." Owl pitched forward to her knees again dropping the axe like blade, before she dropped forward to the blood soaked grass sobbing.

"I'll talk to you both later, have a good night. Oh and I think you should find a new burial spot Buffy, the old one's getting full." Chloe waved and shimmered out of existence.

"Owl? What happened?" Buffy rushed down turning away when she saw the bloody body.

For a long moment Owl just curled where she was sobbing, clutching her bleeding hand to her stomach.

"Owl..." Buffy moved over to her quickly. "Owl? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" She moved down next to her trying to check her for injury. She couldn't be sure if all the blood was Chloe's or not.

"I tried…" Owl looked up flicking her red tipped hair backwards. "She wouldn't listen, didn't have a chance." She tried to draw in breath, but ended up mainly gasping.

"It's not your fault." Buffy leaned down hugging her as best as she could.

"It is, I didn't do my job." Owl pushed out of Buffy's embrace and staggered to her feet dropping her hands to her side, blood clearly flowing from her right one.

"You're cut." Buffy moved over to her again. "In the house, come on. I'll deal with this." She urged her towards the building.

"I let her die." Owl pushed her uninjured hand through her hair and backed up a bit

"It's not your fault." Buffy underlined again. "It was the First."

"I… I shouldn't have come." She shook her head more and stumbled backwards, her foot catching on a root sending her sprawling on her back.

"Owl, it would just have come for you. You're safer here." Buffy tried to find some way of comforting her when she saw her fall. Quickly she dropped down to her knees beside her. "Please Owl."

"It used my weakness, it used it to kill Chloe." Owl's whole body shook.

"No Owl, it baited her out here. It knows how to get someone in a weak position." Buffy tried to sooth pulling off her sweater to tie around Owl's hand.

"This... that..." Owl's eyes flicked to the decapitating blade. "Shanti." She whispered squeezing her bloodshot eyes closed.

Buffy slowly looked over seeing the blade and then looked back the sad reality clearing in her head, the First had done this before. Been playing with Owl, playing with the only SIT among them that was threat to weaken her the only way it could.

"I'm sorry." Buffy pulled her into a hug again. "I'm so sorry."

"I let her die." Owl sobbed hard for a moment holding herself taut in Buffy's arms and then collapsing into them.

"You didn't, you didn't... you couldn't stop what happened." Buffy soothed her softly.

"I did." Owl sobbed harder. "She left them, the protection they gave her, for me."

"Owl, listen to me." Buffy pulled back and cupped Owl's head so she had to look her in the eye. "The Council is gone, the First destroyed it. They couldn't have kept her safe. That she had her life, her choice to love you and be with you." Her voice cracked. "That's what means everything."

"But I should have know, I should have known to save Chloe." Owl shook her head angry with herself.

"It's not your job, it's my job." Buffy released her hands. "Let's get you inside so I can look at your hand."

"But I should, the cat." Owl's face formed a hard grimace. "It, the bastard used her dog. Shanti's dog, our dog." She stubbornly refused to move. "It killed my dog to trap her."

"It is a bastard." Buffy growled angrily. "Come on we need you in the house." She pushed up and pulled Owl with her suddenly realizing how vulnerable they were.

"But Chloe..." Owl staggered a little once on her feet.

"I'll take care of it Owl." Buffy vowed helping her inside.

-x-

Buffy wearily pushed open the door and pushed into the dark house. She went straight to the kitchen and running the water very hot washed off the dark soil stains that ran up her arms. Only when she had made the skin raw and red from the effort did she turn off the tap and slowly move upstairs. Pressing the already open door forward more she peered into her room. After they'd bandaged Owl's hand she'd insisted the SIT come lie down here instead of in the basement.

The taller girl's dark haunted eyes were open and staring straight up at the ceiling. She lay flat out on the bed on her back, her injured hand over her stomach exactly in the place Buffy had rested it when she had finished bandaging it.

"Do you need anything?" Buffy moved over to the bed and watched as Owl silently shook her head. "I..." She sat down in the chair near the bed. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Did I wake the whole house?" Owl whispered her question, her voice toneless.

"No, Amanda and Rona are asleep." Buffy answered in almost the same tone. "No point in telling them till the morning."

"I'm sorry I fell apart." Owl made the apology in the same empty tone.

"You're allowed." Buffy didn't accept it. "You've been through a lot, something like tonight would be impossible not to react too."

"The blade, the blade that it used, well that its bastard lackeys must have set up." She corrected in a hiss. "Was it still there, when you... when you did what you had to do?"

"Yes, it's in the garage I thought Willow might figure out something from it." Buffy offered an explanation.

"My hand hurts." Owl stated hollowly.

"Do you want some painkillers?" Buffy moved to the side table and pulled out a small bottle.

"In case you heard it." Owl shook her head to the pills. "And are wondering, my name, my real name, is Piper."

"Why Owl then?" Buffy took out two pills and picked up the glass of water she'd left at the side. "And you're taking them." She held them out.

"When I was a kid, coming home from school one day I found an owl. A truck or something had hit it. Its wing was broken so I took it home, nursed it. Everyone told me it was a waste of time that it would be better dead. But I wouldn't listen, I nursed it and nursed it." Owl smiled somewhat but the look soon dissipated.

"Nearly took my eye out once." She used her good hand to point to a jagged scar down through her eyebrow that continued down to the corner of her eye. The faded memory was an almost invisible discoloured line. "But I did it." She took a breath. "Months later, she could fly again in all her beauty and grace."

"Just like you." Buffy's voice was softer.

"Maybe, my sister was the one that started it but I think she meant I was as bad tempered and stubborn as the bird to be honest." Owl replied with a snort.

"Well prove her wrong, take the pills." Buffy held them out to her again.

"Have you told Giles?" Owl asked taking the pills.

"I called." Buffy nodded giving her the water, happy when Owl quickly took the pills and held onto the glass.

"I feel oddly tired." She admitted frowning.

"You should sleep then. I'll keep watch." Buffy assured her.

"I'm sorry I messed up." Owl let her eyes close.

"Owl you didn't mess up, don't even think that okay." Buffy shook her head and moved back to her chair.

"Wake me up ready for morning work out." Owl's voice dipped a little.

"Sleep Piper." Buffy whispered softly in the dark.

-x-

The door to the bedroom eased open though no lights had been turned on and there hadn't really been any sound through the house. The shadowed figure moved straight through the room towards the bed.

"Spike do you have a death wish?" Buffy growled in the dark and caused the peroxide vampire jump as he turned towards the voice.

"Buffy?" He hissed and then turned back to the bed.

"Hallway." She stood up and pressed him back to the doorway where he had come.

"Easy, I overheard your conversation with Giles, I came to see if I could help." Spike looked up apologetically.

"You think stalking into my bedroom at five am is going to be helpful?" Buffy questioned him with a sceptical look.

"I meant with the burying and everything, you act like this doesn't effect you but I know it does. I can do the burial thing." Spike rubbed his hand on his jeans

"It's done." Buffy shook her head. "I couldn't leave her in the backyard for one of the neighbours to call the police, very hard to explain." She pointed out with a hint of anger in her voice.

"Then how about a cup of tea?" Spike tried a charming smile

"How about you do what I asked you to do and stay at Xander's looking after everyone?" Buffy shook her head again to his charming attempt.

"I could help you look after everyone here." Spike looked up again. "You don't have to be alone in this Buffy."

"I don't need your help, I don't need you and your big speech about being there for me and caring and loving me." She shoved him backwards. "I need you to take this seriously and focus on doing something other that hitting on me while the First kills them all off. You're supposed to have a soul now, doesn't it hurt you at all that they are all dying?"

"Hey Buffy I didn't kill her." Spike frowned hurt.

"No, you didn't did you? Because you're all happy puppies and poetry Spike now, but this isn't want I need. I need the vampire that can kick ass and likes to do it. I need a fighter not another idiot handing me tea." Buffy's voice was a low yell.

"But Buffy…" Spike frowned. "I thought I was helping, now I'm without chip I can be helpful with the training." He tried to rally her support.

"Training them to what throw a punch then die? I need you scratching and clawing to protect them or at least you getting off and beating the shit out the First so you can go on about how tough you are." Buffy countered. "I need the old Spike who didn't stay down when someone smacked him, the one that got up gloating for more."

"You know I'll stand by you, fighting with you until the last." Spike stated clearly.

"That's the whole point Spike, I don't want a last. I want to kick this things ass way before that and if it keeps killing off potentials I can't stop that from happening." Buffy leaned against the wall.

"It's not your fault they're dying off like flies. You're trying to keep them alive." Spike argued with her.

"Whose fault is it then?" Buffy glared at him. "Who is supposed to be the slayer who can keep them alive? Who have they all come scrambling to for help?"

"That's just you taking everything to heart." Spike shook his head again. "You're sensitive love, that's all."

"Spike, do you have one shred of something useful to tell me this evening?" Buffy stood back up staring at him. "Because if you don't why don't you be helpful and get back to Xander's before the sun rises."

"I could stay." Spike pushed again.

"Okay look, you have a soul and yes I was really worried when the chip thing reset to brain fry setting." Buffy put up her hand. "But do not for one minute misplace my general concern as any indication I want to be with you again, especially in that way."

"I'm just being a friend Buffy." Spike shook his head. "I realize with all this going on, you can't make any decisions about anything."

"Why is it every second word out of your mouth has something to do with 'don't worry I'm not going to pressure you' but all you do is pressure me?" Buffy raised her voice again. "Stalking into my bedroom, following me everywhere, giving me the doe eyes."

"You're tense." Spike reached out to touch Buffy shoulder. "Come on pet, you should sit down."

"Get out Spike." Buffy smacked his hand away. Spike drew his hand back and looked down at the floor.

"Okay." He took a step backward he but stopped looking up again. "I can't figure you out."

"Then we're even." Buffy admitted.

"What do you want from me Buffy" Spike held his arms out to the side. "Everything I try is not good enough."

"That's just it, don't try anything, just be Spike." Buffy tried to explain. "This whole charade change of personality thing to please me just makes me not trust you."

"But it doesn't have to be a charade," Spike shook his head. "I could be anything for you Buffy. So much has changed." He softened his tone.

"Yes, but the stupidest thing about that is how can you be what I want if I don't even know what I want?" She questioned him.

"You're right, you're right." Spike backed up a little more. "Sorry, I just thought I could help, I was wrong."

"Spike, I don't want to hurt you but..." Buffy voice was slightly remorseful. "But just because I need your help to keep them alive, doesn't mean 'I need' your help."

"Everyone needs someone, even you pet." Spike turned and faced the stairs.

"Then you shouldn't have did what you did." Buffy added softly her voice vulnerable and hurt.

"Everyone makes mistakes." He took a step down.

"And sometimes mistakes ruin everything." Buffy turned and pushed back into her room for a moment forgetting that Owl was even there.

She walked straight to the window looking out into the still dark night as she heard the front door closing with his exit and she watched his dark figurehead down the road out of sight.

"One mistake and Chloe is dead." Buffy whispered to herself thinking about his words as her usually hard tough exterior broke a bit and she frowned.

-x-


	8. Chapter 8

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Eight.**

"Oh I don't have to hide the sugar puffs." Amanda reached up and did a little dance with the cereal packet before tossing it to Rona whom was doing a continuation of the dance routine with two breakfast bowls and spoons. "Do you think Buffy and Owl are down there training already?" She asked glancing down at the basement door.

"I don't know. Buffy's door was closed, maybe she's sleeping in." Rona laughed lightly.

"Well she has got her bed back, not sure the last time she saw it let alone slept in it." Amanda laughed back.

"Good thing since Chloe is slacking too." She added digging into her cereal.

"Yeah though no complaints from me, I got even longer than I planned in the shower." The potential added happily.

"And hot water, God I forgot how good it is." Rona groaned.

"Maybe I could even start to convince you guys that Sunnydale has its okay side."

Amanda flicked a sugar puff in her direction.

"Living permanently on a Hellmouth? No, thank you." Rona flicked it back.

"Should I put coffee on, Owl seems to be drawn to the spell of the filter stuff." Amanda glanced over her shoulder to the coffee machine.

"We might as well make a good morning good for everyone. We can make Buffy that oatmeal stuff she seems to like." Rona took another quick few mouthfuls and went to pull a packet out of the cupboard.

Dropping her spoon back into her bowl Amanda pushed up and walked over to start the coffee

"You guys are busy this morning." Buffy appeared in the doorway looking somber.

"Making you oatmeal and Owl coffee." Amanda nodded. "Stop us now if you're not in the mood."

"Actually I have to talk to you both about something, maybe it should wait." Buffy decided this part of her duty was almost as bad as what she had to do the night before.

"You want me to get Owl and Chloe?" Amanda offered brightly.

"No, Chloe..." The Slayer couldn't quite figure out how to start this. "The First killed her last night." She managed to get the rather blunt sentence past her lips.

"What?" Amanda's squeak was small. "But, she was… we were... she was coming to bed straight after us." She shook her head.

"Owl was… where's Owl?" Rona's voice was the same squeaky pitch.

"Upstairs." Buffy frowned. "She got hurt. The First lured Chloe outside and it was a trap."

"I can't believe it." Rona sat down shakily.

"Where is she?" Amanda stood behind the other potential and put her hand on her shoulder.

"I buried her." Buffy wiped her hand over her hip almost feeling the dirt there again.

"I'm sorry I let you all down." It was Owl's voice that followed Buffy's coming from just behind the Slayer.

"Are you okay?" Rona questioned seeing the heavy bandage on her hand.

"I'll heal." Owl nodded.

"It's going to pick us all off." Amanda stared at Buffy. "Isn't it? One by one, and none of us can stop him." Her voice edged towards hysteria.

"We're not going to let that happen." Buffy tried to reassure her. "Just from now on after dark I don't care if I'm on the front walk injured, you don't come to help okay? Either of you." She tried to steer them to the present moment and safety precautions.

"We should make the coffee." Rona put her arm around Amanda but her hand was visibly shaking.

"You need to tell Kennedy and Molly and Vi." Amanda tried to will herself to move.

"I'm heading over there this morning, I'll tell everyone." Buffy assured her.

"You're leaving us?" Amanda stopped and turned looking at her obviously panicked.

"I have to for just awhile. Just stay in, train in the basement." Buffy assured them.

"But..." Amanda objected.

"You'll be fine Amanda, it always waits a bit before it tries to play with us." Buffy shook her head. "This is the best time for me to go out."

"We'll be okay." Rona breathed a little deeper. "Won't we Owl?" She looked up to the other girl.

"Just stay inside and with each other." She gave a tight nod.

"That goes for you too." Buffy turned hearing her wording.

"You're going to need a lift." Owl pointed out turning her head to look at Buffy.

"You're hand." The Slayer reminded.

"I can handle it." Owl replied. "Unless you'd rather…"

"Get yourself some breakfast while I get a shower then." Buffy saw the hint of question in the younger woman about her abilities and knew that the last thing she needed was to foster her belief that she was somehow less than now that Chloe was dead. Owl nodded and moved past her into the kitchen.

-x-

Buffy knew that the news she had delivered had made a sad heaviness settle into the room. It was to be expected of course, the bigger picture being that another teenager innocent had lost her life in this struggle. While the one they had to focus on more was that the First had another victory and they still had no way to do anything to stop it for good.

"So any good news would be really good right around now Giles." Buffy looked rather hopefully at the Watcher from her place on the beat up couch they'd managed to purchase at a second hand store and move into the Wicca's new apartment.

"Any time soon." Dawn encouraged with a worried frown as the Watcher glanced around his apparently captive audience.

"Well I have been researching quite extensively on the art of mimic creation." He chose to fix his gaze on the polished floor.

"Giles she knows she was mimicked." Anya pointed out to him as she put down cookies on the coffee table.

"Yes, yes I was about to explain that some of what I have discovered could be classed as encouraging." Giles flashed an angry glance at her. "To create a shade, like the one who lived among us would demand considerable skill and power." Giles sat back in the armchair. "The kind of which could only be harnessed by a none corporeal creature. To create form when there isn't any is an impossibility for a human, or indeed vessel bound entity. Without knowing details about the time Tara spent just before she left it is hard to say exactly how The First was able to produce something so accurate and believable. Such perfect mirroring usually needs the involvement of the mimicked."

Tara tensed in her place and tried hard not to stare at the Watcher.

"She did not help it Giles!" Willow snapped closing her hand tighter around Tara's.

"No." Giles shook his head and looked up apologetically. "Oh no Willow, Tara I'm sorry I didn't mean to in anyway suggest that this was done with your knowledge and help." He backtracked. "More than it may have been done with 'parts' of Tara." He explained not realizing that this didn't actually sound any better.

"No parts of her were part of any of this." Willow glared at him more.

"Don't worry Will, Giles is going to explain what he means really quickly aren't you Giles." Buffy stared at him too.

Everyone in the room was basically staring at him in disbelief now.

"Yes, perhaps I am not explaining this well at all." He pushed up out of his seat. "I believe the only way this could have happened is that unwittingly Tara crossed paths with someone working directly for The First."

"Tara wouldn't talk to anyone she didn't trust." Dawn shook her head coming to the blonde's defense.

"And it's not one of us." Willow looked around reassuring.

"Candice." Tara whispered the name shaking her head sadly.

"Who?" Xander looked round at everyone to see if they knew more than he did.

"The girl who you roomed with?" Willow looked at her lover.

"Roomed with when?" Buffy asked frowning slightly.

"When she moved out... when I..." Willow didn't finish as she looked down.

"Before you left?" Buffy clarified not wanting to cause her best friend discomfort. She watched Tara give a solid nod.

"Well that would be the right timing wouldn't it." Anya noted. "She leaves... shadow shows up."

"Yeah, so let's go kick her ass then." Dawn pushed off from where she was leaning on the wall.

"Hold on." Buffy held up her hand to stop her sister. "Since when would the First be recruiting humans Giles?"

"Well it would be unprecedented." Giles nodded. "But it is the only way I could perceive it happening, even the most talented user of the dark arts would need basics like blood, hair and similar samples from the person to be mimicked."

"I think we need to go pay Candace a visit to get answers." Willow pitched in modifying Dawn's plan slightly.

"If anyone does I do." Buffy pointed out clearly.

"I think we should both go. I mean if she doesn't know that we know Tara is back then I can pretend I'm just looking for information." Willow looked at the Slayer.

"We need any information you can gather, she may talk more openly to someone she knows." Giles stopped. "You do know her Willow?"

"Not exactly." Willow shook her head.

"Maybe if I..." Tara began.

"Not going to happen!" Buffy spoke up before even Willow could.

"No honey it's too dangerous." The redhead added in right after.

"You know we should find out where the Candice girl could have gotten the ingredients for this spell, because they aren't common I bet." Anya added trying to be helpful.

"She was a member of the Wicca group." Tara added reluctantly, she knew this information wasn't going to help things. "She had connections."

"She was a real Wicca, not a Wicca Wannabe?" Willow clarified.

"She left when the group didn't live up to her expectations." Tara nodded.

"Definitely someone we need to look into." Willow squeezed Tara's hand again.

"Xander should go see her." Owl offered from her place near the door.

"Me?" Xander squeaked and frowned.

"Perhaps you are unaware Owl, he is the one we turn to for carpentry and being a coward not, going on dangerous covert missions." Anya glared at him.

"Exactly, it'll look the least obvious." Owl shrugged. "I mean the Slayer rolling up with Tara's grieving lover?" She shook her head. "Big alarm bells. Even if you are nice and super understanding the carpenter rolling up say looking for a book or something that Willow in her distress thinks Tara may have given to Candice, perfectly understandable."

"Owl's got a point." Buffy had to concede.

"But I don't know what I'm looking for." Xander shook his head. "Or what I should say."

"Anya would." Dawn looked at the former demon.

"You want me to voluntarily go to hang out with a minion of the First?" Anya looked at the teenager concerned.

"Any one of us would." Dawn replied not flinching in the slightest.

"Fine, I will do what everyone else would do because I am a good person." Anya put her hands on her hips. "Come on beady eyes lets get this over with. If I can go into another dimension to ask a floating eye for advice I can go see a girl named Candice."

"Don't be obvious." Giles put in his tone slightly worried.

"He can talk, I'll just use gentle probing techniques." Anya assured him putting on her coat.

"Where do we find her?" Xander pushed up turning to Tara who also got up.

"I'll get you everything you'll need to know." She slipped off to the bedroom.

"If she says anything important call us right away." Willow underlined her eyes narrowing.

"Will do Willow." Xander gave her a nod.

"And don't do anything stupid." Buffy added the warning.

"I should go back to the apartment." Giles stood up too. "Andrew wasn't happy to be left with Spike even in the sun lit lounge."

"I should try to make my last few classes." Dawn admitted moving towards her book bag.

"I could give you a lift." Owl offered. "Take you via the house so that it doesn't look like you're coming from here and all that."

"That would be a good idea." Buffy stood up. "Thanks." She nodded at the SIT.

"You okay to take a cab or something?" Owl checked.

"I'll get home okay don't worry." Buffy shrugged.

"I can come back and pick you up." Owl shook her head catching Buffy's eyes.

"You don't need to be traipsing around after me." Buffy tried to object.

"I wont be more than twenty minutes, if you're ready Dawn." She glanced at the teenager.

"Yeah lets go." Dawn slipped into her backpack. "But if you wrap me around a tree I won't be happy."

"I'll see you back here then, I'll check on the others." Buffy gave in.

"Dawnie your lunch." Tara re-entered the room pointing at the kitchen as she handed Xander a slip of paper.

"I got it." Dawn moved back as she was prompted.

"We're out of here." Xander opened the door for Anya.

"Wish us luck and a safe and alive return." She gave them all a tense wave before she stalked out.

"Your lift is leaving." Owl held the door to stop it closing.

"See you all after school." Dawn waved and ran out holding her little neatly folded lunch bag.

"I'll call if I find anything else out." Giles slipped out after them.

"Drink anyone?" Tara hung somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the room as the commotion died down.

"That would be great honey." Willow turned and smiled from her place on the couch.

Tara nodded and slipped out and immediately Buffy sunk into a chair near Willow.

"How are you doing?" Willow asked her softly.

"Cracking." Buffy admitted hanging her head for a brief moment.

"We're going to beat this thing." Willow vowed.

"You weren't there Willow, not last night," Buffy shook her head. "It was..." She shivered and sat back.

"Buffy, we're going to beat it." Willow moved over closer. "It's what we do." She put her hand over the Slayer's. "How is Owl's hand? She looks rattled."

"It's sore, it was deep but I couldn't take her to emergency." Buffy admitted. "I'll take a look at it later. There are issues."

"Issues?" Willow questioned.

"With Owl, The First knows she's good and she is good Will." Buffy looked at her friend. "It hurt her terribly."

"How?" Willow asked the obvious question.

"It killed her watcher." Buffy swallowed as she realized what she was about to tell her best friend.

"Oh my..." The redhead put her hand up to her mouth.

"Who happened to be her lover." She added the other important detail.

"Oh." Willow's voice notched down to an even sadder pitch. "How did he..." She asked for the obvious detail.

"She, Shanti was beheaded." Buffy held Willow's eyes.

"She... like Chloe?" Willow's face went even paler.

"Exactly." Buffy nodded. "It was like it was taunting Owl by killing Chloe almost the same way."

"It's something the First would do Buffy, like when it used Cassie to pretend Tara was telling me to kill myself." Willow pointed out.

"I think she's part of it Willow, part of how we beat this." Buffy tried to express what she was thinking. "I just don't know how to keep her okay. How to keep anyone okay."

"Buffy the best way we can do that is to find a way to beat the First." Willow put forward.

"Are you okay?" Buffy changed her focus.

"Tara's alive." The redhead summed up easily.

"Feels good?" Buffy smiled at her seeing just how much more alive it made her best friend look.

"Amazing, wonderful... incredible." Willow's cheeks flooded with colour again.

"You're looking great together." Buffy relayed softly. "Gives me hope you know."

"You have lots of hope, sexy young slayer." Willow smiled at her.

"Okay you, enough with the sexy." Buffy actually laughed. "Oh I wanted to check, Tara did know I was joking when I told her to watch the physical stuff when Dawn's around didn't she?"

"I think she's conscientious in case you mean it." The redhead made the soft admission to her best friend.

"Dawn puts me to shame with how okay she is about you too. And I'm... I can't tell you how my heart leapt when I saw you hold her hand when we were talking." Buffy smiled and shook her head.

"Thank you." Willow reached out to touch Buffy's hand again. "It means a lot for you to say that."

"Hey I might be slow, but even I can see when two people are made for each other." Buffy put her hand over Willow's.

"When this First business is all done we'll just have to find your someone you're made for." Willow assured her.

"Willow." Buffy took a breath and squeezed her best friend's hand for a moment.

"If it looks like we're loosing, I was thinking maybe you and Tara should go, leave, take Dawn with you." She held green eyes.

"Buffy." Willow's voice was shocked. "No." She protested. "We can't."

"It wants the Slayers Will." Buffy tried again. "I'd rather give it that than risk you, what you and Tara have, its something I'm never going to have and I want to preserve that and Dawn too, I want her safe and with you is safe."

"We'll keep Dawn safe Buffy." Willow conceded the fact that if they were going to lose this she might have to give into the Slayer's request if only to keep Dawn alive.

"Thank you." Buffy squeezed her hand again.

"But we'll figure out things long before that so it's not necessary." Willow pointed out firmly.

"Buffy." Tara suddenly hurried into the lounge from the kitchen frowning slightly.

"Honey what's wrong?" Willow turned around looking at her lover.

"I think Owl may have come off her bike." Tara pointed to the window, she moved over to it and pulled back the drape.

"What?" Buffy jumped up and ran to see that a small crowd had gathered around a car that was stopped sideways across the road. On its side by the curb was Owl's distinctive dark Harley and a smaller group were knelt on the grass bank directly to the side of the bike. Buffy took off backwards as soon as she had focused in on the accident. "Stay here." She warned racing out of the apartment.

-x-

"Owl!" She screamed loud enough to cut through the crowd to get to the figure on the grass.

"No, don't take her helmet off." A middle aged woman snapped at an older man who seemed insistent on unfastening Owl's chinstrap.

"Get away." Buffy pushed everyone aside. "What happened?" She barked at them reaching to hold Owl's head in place without moving it, just in case of injury.

"The car just veered at her." One on-looker explained. "She tried to swerve but didn't have anywhere to go but up the curb."

"No, no it was her fault." Another argued. "She only had one hand on her handle bars."

"Owl... Piper..." Buffy heard them in the background as she tried to see if she could ease the injured potential into consciousness. "Piper please." She whispered. This was not the way she wanted to loose another potential, especially not Piper.

"Ow." Owl moaned lightly, her eyes fluttering open.

"Oh God are you okay? Don't move, where does it hurt?" Buffy fretted not letting go of her head in case Owl did try to move.

"Right now everywhere, is my bike okay?" Piper tired to raise her uninjured arm to her chinstrap.

"Stay still." Buffy warned her again. "The bike doesn't matter, you do."

"I guess I'm just having a bad day." Owl winced. "I dropped Dawn off all safe." She added not wanting Buffy to fret.

"I guessed. This is my fault I should have told you to go home." Buffy frowned as she heard the sirens in the background. "The ambulance is coming."

"I can't go to a hospital." Owl bent one leg and gave a feeble attempt to push up.

"You can and you are. Don't make me use certain abilities to make you stay put." Buffy kept her down gently. "I'll come with you, it'll be fine. We need to get you looked after."

"No, you need to get back to Rona and Amanda, they need you." Owl objected.

"I'll send Giles over." Buffy shook her head. "I'm going with you." She reluctantly moved back to let the paramedics do their job.

-x-

"Just in here." The nurse smiled gently to Buffy and pulled back the curtain around Owl's bed.

"Thanks." Buffy went in slowly looking at the tall woman who looked rather frail and meek in the muted green hospital gown and bedding.

"Did the girls get my bike?" Owl asked her voice a little pained.

"Kennedy and Vi got it into the parking at the building. So it's safe and sound." Buffy assured her.

"So how do I look?" Owl asked.

"Little worse for wear." Buffy winced at the large bandage that was now around her injured hand and the stitches that were on a cut on her chin. "You're red mark has a match now." She tried to be upbeat as she leaned on the side of the bed.

"Good I hate to be uneven." Owl tried a smile but it didn't reach her eyes. "Can I get out of here yet?" She asked impatiently.

"A few more hours observation and then I can take you home." Buffy nodded. "They're afraid you scrambled your noggin."

"Nah, didn't even dent the helmet." Owl assured her.

"What happened?" Buffy asked the important question.

"I was just driving home, I was fine and then there was this car, just there, across the road. I tried to swerve but there was no way I was gonna make it so instead of doing a face plant over its hood I went for the grass." Owl shook her head very gently. "I swear though it came out of nowhere."

"The police took a statement from the driver, we'll get Willow to hack into their records." Buffy assured her.

"Is he okay?" Owl frowned.

"Just shook up apparently." Buffy nodded. "Are you sure you don't want to stay in the night? Let them be sure you're okay?" She checked rather worryingly looking at the IV.

"It probably looks worse than it is, I only fractured a couple of the right ones." Owl shifted a little and then realized that Buffy rather than looking at her side as she had thought and had been looking at the IV drip.

"You broke ribs?" Buffy's mouth curled down even further.

"Okay now I feel stupid for some reason I was mixing up slayer skills and superman's x-ray vision." The Potential tried to laugh.

"You know you've now got me on your back to keep you staying still until you're healed." Buffy's resolve face came out.

"I wish slayer healing was something granted to us potentials." Owl smiled at Buffy's face. "Hey steady you could scare a girl looking like that."

"I'm serious Piper, you're not taking any more chances." Buffy shook her head.

"I don't matter as an individual Buffy." Owl dropped her voice. "What matters is what we're fighting."

"Is that the impression I've given you?" The line made the Slayer's mind stop.

"No." Owl shook her head. "Buffy everything I've seen from you, everything you do is just the opposite of that. It's how I feel." She tried to clarify. "Everyone you lose hurts you, I can see that."

"Yes, and I'm not letting anything hurt you or anyone else." Buffy vowed.

"It's already hurt me Buffy, there's nothing he can do to me now." Piper shook her head.

"We'll make it pay Piper." Buffy's head hung a bit.

"I'm sorry I let this happen." Owl glanced down.

"You know I thought I had the blame complex but you have it even more than me." Buffy reached out and put her hand over Owl's uninjured one.

"Would you rather I stayed in, they were quite keen on keeping me" Piper looked up into hazel eyes and for a moment just lost herself in them.

"If you want, but we can take care of you at home." Buffy offered softly not able to look away either.

"I don't want to be a problem." Owl outlined her concern.

"You're not." Buffy shook her head softly.

"Hey it might make Rona and Amanda's life easier, you know having a patient to faun over." Owl smiled trying to find an up side.

"I'm sure they'd love it." Buffy agreed with the idea. "Look we both know how serious life is right now, but I don't want us to forget the big picture." She swallowed as she looked at the angry cut on Owl's chin again. "And that is taking care of each other."

"I remember once before Shanti and I got serious, she gave me a lecture about how you could never make it personal, that it was a destiny and not a grudge match." Owl gave her a genuine smile. "The first thing she renounced when she ditched the Council and we moved out together was that sentence."

"Giles tried that lecture with me too, but we've come to realize the only way to win is to make it personal." Buffy nodded that she understood.

"I don't mind if this fight costs me all I have Buffy, if it's me or you, then its me you know." Owl said seriously.

"Okay I did not make that agreement." Buffy looked at her firmly. "I make life and death decisions, I'm the slayer."

"You're Buffy Summers, twenty two year old with a future." Piper shook her head.

"You're Piper..." Buffy realized she didn't know her last name or her age. "And you're have even more ahead of you."

"McCaffery, twenty and I wasn't asleep last night Buffy." Piper shook her head. "When you had your visitor. Does he love you?" She added her voice lower.

"He thinks he does." Buffy nodded sadly. "But I don't think he knows what that is, I know he doesn't."

"Do you love him?" Piper looked at her.

"He..." Buffy looked away to her hand down at the sheets. "No."

"He what?" Owl frowned and sat up a little painfully. It was the first time she'd seen the Slayer back down on anything and it made her very uneasy.

"Nothing, be careful." Buffy looked back up reaching to keep her from sitting up. "Watch the ribs."

"It's not nothing." Owl shook her head putting her uninjured hand over her side to ease the pain slightly.

"It is." Buffy tried to convince her. "We just have history, ancient history. Whatever you heard last night doesn't change anything."

"I've been with you for a few days now Buffy, I've seen and shared things with you that would send most people running but I've never seen that look." Piper nodded pointing out she was not going to be put off. "What do you mean by history?"

"It's a long story and you don't need to worry about this." Buffy tried to sidestep again. "I also don't come off particularly well in it so I'd rather not give you a reason to think less of me."

"Okay I get the Piper back off vibe, sorry." Owl leaned back with a pained sigh

"No, it's not that." Buffy put her hand up to her face trying to shield the uncertainty this topic put in her.

"No really it's okay, I mean I'm just another potential, hey we've hardly enhanced your life have we." Owl shook her head again. "I think maybe I should stay the night here you know out of the way."

"If you think that's best." Buffy pulled the words back that were about to spill out of her and settled on the bland statement.

"No actually if we're being honest I don't think that, I think it'd be best if you leveled with me and maybe then I'll start thinking beyond this ever looming end I'm looking into with The First." Owl shrugged.

"Awhile ago we were fighting a hell God, I threw myself into a temporal portal and died." Buffy began knowing she had to explain somewhat.

"Made Slayer history." Owl nodded. "You're the only one who ever came back, twice." She smiled encouragingly.

"Well the whole second time didn't work out perfectly, the world was so harsh and I felt so cold inside." The Slayer tried to quantify things. "Spike and I, he offered a way for me to feel something."

"Sex." Owl offered thinking she understood now.

"In the lowest form of the word." Buffy scowled at herself. "He said he loved me, says he loves me." She sighed heavily.

"But you don't think he does." Owl observed.

"Back before he got his soul... he tried... when I wanted to stop being with him he..." Buffy looked away again finding the words just wouldn't come.

"He?" The SIT leaned forward again.

"He tried to..." Buffy's voice got softer. "Force me."

"Why isn't he dust?" Owl hissed.

"We had bigger things to deal with." Buffy shook her head. "Tara had been... Willow was..." She sighed. "Then he was gone, came back with a soul."

"That was then." Owl shook her head. "And since then, has he hurt you?" She asked bluntly. "Tried anything." Buffy shook her head not able to meet the potential's eyes. "You think you deserved it don't you." Owl said looking at the way Buffy avoided her gaze. "That somehow it was you, your fault." Her voice dropped. "That's why even now you don't want to let him go. Like you feel responsible for him. Responsible for how he is."

"We need him, he's a good fighter, the First thinks he's useful so he must be a key to getting to kill it." Buffy didn't turn back.

"Look at me." Piper instructed. "Look at me and tell me that's why he's not floating as dust through the air."

"I... I had let him do things before... he thought... I should have been clearer." Buffy glanced back into the potential's eyes hating the broken cadence of her words.

"Yeah you let him do things before and you want to know what I think, I think probably most of those times were rape too." Owl's voice dropped low as she raised her hand and cupped Buffy's cheek. "Buffy you were lost, hurt, confused and scared, you needed love, support and guidance. Not abuse, which I'm guessing at by the way, and you didn't deserve to be used."

"I'm the slayer no one could..." Buffy's voice shook and made her stop.

"You're Buffy Summers, twenty two year old school counselor. You're a woman before anything else." Owl shook her head. "Okay so say things were different. Say I rolled up to your door and poured my heart out to you about my entire sorry story. Then imagine I say wait, what would make me feel better and get over it would be if you were to throw me around the room a bit and then we grind together for awhile, would you do it?"

"Never." Buffy hissed looking back at her firmly. "I would never let that happen."

"And why not?" Piper pushed.

"Because you're hurting, you're upset." Buffy put forward the facts.

"And I need what?" The potential guided her.

"You need us to support you, to look after you and help you deal." She answered immediately. "When Willow lost Tara I saw, I've seen how hard grief can be."

"You lost paradise, big loss I'd say, don't ask how I know that by the way." She added with half smile.

"I know you know." Buffy nodded softly. "I think that's why I feel like you're different from the others, you've lived a slayers life even if you haven't been called.

"Can we limit my exposure to Spike?" Piper requested seriously.

"Are you going to stake him if I don't?" Buffy asked back in the same tone.

"I have this feeling he might get in the way of my redwood yeah." Piper nodded.

"I'm not a man hating lesbian Buffy." She pointed out. "But a rapist who abuses his best friend, better steer clear."

"Thank you." Buffy nodded that she understood. "We should get you out of here, it smells like hospital."

"Can we make sure they give me painkillers?" Piper added a little less confidently.

"Already on order." Buffy reached back into her pocket showing she had three pink slips of paper. "Painkillers, something to help you sleep and antibiotic cream."

"They said it shouldn't scar, can I poke it?" Piper moved her hand to hover over her chin.

"No, missy." Buffy reached up moving her hand away. "No poking, agitating, rubbing or anything of that sort."

"Hey, I heard someone needed a lift." Xander's smiling face poked round the curtain.

"Right on time." Buffy turned and smiled at him. "How did the Candice thing go?" She questioned remembering where Anya and he had gone.

"No go, she's not in her dorm. Some floor mates told us she moved out about two months ago, no ones heard or seen her since." He shrugged. "Sorry."

"Okay, give us five minutes to get dressed and then we'll meet you out front?" Buffy requested.

"I got two passengers?" Xander glanced at the bed.

"She's got Scooby hospitalitis." Buffy nodded.

"Imperative we remove her ASAP." Xander grinned and nodded slipping out.

"He's a sweet guy." Owl smiled after him.

"He was zapped to be a solider once, he has flashbacks." Buffy laughed as she gathered up Owl's clothes from the side chair. "You're going to need help." She pointed out rather calmly.

"You'd rather grab a nurse?" Owl asked hoping to give the Slayer an easy way out.

"No, I meant don't be a hero, let me help. I know what it's like trying to get dressed when you've had the shit pounded out of you." Buffy smiled and began easing back the bedclothes.

"Apparently tomorrow I'll be attractive blue shades rather than the red." Owl leaned back a little.

"You will be, then nice blacks and then even prettier purples and yellows." Buffy put her bra aside and checked over the shirt for rips before she put it over Owl's lap and helped her out of the gown. "You have instant bra with the ribs wrap." She smiled as she helped her into the long sleeve shirt.

"Ow ow." Piper moaned slightly as she settled it in place. "I think that was singularly the most painful thing I've ever done."

"I haven't got you home yet." Buffy warned her.

"Now that was an inspiring pep talk." Owl smiled her reserve of energy draining.

Buffy frowned and moved to get her pants situated so they could start shimming them up her legs.

"Oh and I have a great graze on my thigh apparently." Owl turned her leg showing the ripped skin down the back of her leg.

"Yes you do, road rash queen." Buffy gave the abrasion a good look. "Mmmm maybe leather is not the best choice. I'll get you some surgical pants."

"I thought I heard home based discussions going on in here." The curtain pulled back and the nurse entered smiling at both Buffy and Piper.

"Could we get some surgical pants? Hers will only aggravate the wound." Buffy asked politely.

"Eager to get your girlfriend home?" She smiled again. "Let me see what I can do, and I'll get the doctor to arrange discharge papers, you know you really shouldn't have tried to put her shirt on until I'd properly detached her drip." She admonished gently

"I've had practice." Buffy smiled at her abilities.

"Perhaps you should try and talk her out of riding something as dangerous as a motorbike then." She smiled again before slipping out. "We call people who ride them organ donors, I'm sure you can figure out why."

"The bike is on hold for awhile." Buffy nodded.

"Sorry bout that." Piper smiled at the Slayer.

"Live and learn, as long as you live I'll forgive you." Buffy pointed out the threshold of importance. "Though we do learn driving one handed leads to problems when you are attacked by large automobiles."

"I meant the girlfriend line, I had to tell her something else she wasn't going to let you in." Owl explained.

"It worked, good thinking." Buffy nodded as she gathered up Owl's other personal effect in a plastic bag, she added some extra gazes and two rolls of tape to the stash. "Though you're way too good for me." She added softly as she moved over to the bed again.

"Not according to her." Piper laughed. "And I quote 'with a pretty girl like that why do you risk you life riding a bike?'."

"Cheeky nurse." Buffy smiled. "What was your answer?"

"Ow I think, she discovered my ribs the next second." The Potential laughed and then gripped her side groaning again.

"At least I'm somewhat desirable." Buffy smiled as got Owl's boots ready to be put on.

"Oh you know it." Piper smiled at her as the nurse came in briefly to hand Buffy the pants.

"I'll take the line out when you're dressed." She noted before pulling the curtain closed behind her.

"Naw." Buffy shook her head moving to gently ease the thin pants up over the potential's injury.

"For the record you're beautiful." Owl smiled as she shifted painfully and managed to get the pants on.

"For the record I know they gave you morphine, so officially you're on drugs." Buffy smiled despite her negative comment.

"That would explain the wings, the gold glow and the fact that there are three of you but not the beauty." Owl shook her head.

"Come on Piper, home time." Buffy smiled as she finished putting her boots on.

"Please tell me I don't have to walk." She gave a weaker smile.

"I would be a great girlfriend and carry you but as I look like a weakling I think we're safer with the wheelchair." Buffy moved out a bit into the hall. "I'm sure the nurse will bring one back with her."

-x-

Willow quickly knocked on Anya's door and looked down the hall. She wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. Mostly she wanted to spend the least amount of time in the dark garage as she could. A quick call from Buffy had told them that at least Owl was allowed out of the hospital but that the SIT was desperately worried about her bike. Seemed none of them had realized the wheel could be locked up to ensure it wasn't stolen overnight.

"Willow?" Anya opened the door. "What are you doing here? Do you have permission to leave your apartment?"

"Yes, I need the keys to Owl's bike." Willow smiled at her actually appreciating the demon's worry for once. "I promised her I'd give it a quick check."

"Why? You can't take it out, Xander said he had a friend that could take a look at it and maybe punch out the dent." Anya shook her head.

"No, she just wants me to lock it up properly so it won't go missing." Willow explained more. "She explained what I needed to do."

"Willow." Before Anya could react, the ex-demon was pushed aside and Kennedy stood at the door.

"Kennedy... hi." Willow took a step back a bit surprised when the SIT filled her vision unexpectedly.

"God I was worried about you." Kennedy stepped forward and put her arms around the redhead.

"I... hi." Willow stood stiffly for a moment and then hugged her lightly. "It's been crazy, yeah. Are you okay?" She questioned softly.

"Yeah I'm okay." Kennedy nodded. "I heard you want to check the new SITS bike." She dived back in the apartment for a moment.

"Yes... I needed the keys." Willow repeated rather stupidly.

"Got them." Kennedy pushed them in her pocket, pulled Willow out into the hall letting the door close behind them.

"Great." The redhead found herself trying to catch up as she was herded forward.

"So what's going on?" Kennedy asked as she walked quickly to the elevator.

"Kennedy." Willow looked at her not understanding the SIT's relaxed conversation. "Tara is alive." She added quietly.

"I know, well so I've heard." Kennedy shrugged.

"I know you haven't got to meet her yet, I'm sorry. She's just getting used to the whole we thought she was dead now she's not and the jet lag and that we're all being hunted by a First eternal hell evil." Willow babbled well past when the elevator doors opened.

"Ride's here Will." Kennedy put her arm out and kept the doors open and she brought the redhead's attention to it.

"Oh right." Willow moved into it and hit the button for the underground garage. She stood near one wall staring at the buttons as the doors closed gnawing on her lip.

Kennedy watched the doors slide close and then moved in front of Willow, she reached out and took the redhead's hand.

"I realize things must be crazy right now Will." She said looking up at her.

"Oh they are, crazy... super crazy." Willow eyes went open wider a she felt Kennedy squeeze her hand.

"I know, and that's okay." The dark haired SIT raised her hand and cupped Willow's cheek. "I can wait."

"Wait for what?" Willow felt her jaw drop open.

"You, silly lickable Willow." Kennedy stroked her thumb on Willow's cheek. "Remember I'm you knight in armour."

Willow let out a rather funny noise as she reached up and grasped Kennedy's hand with both of hers and pulled it down gently.

"Kennedy, Tara is alive." She repeated the words slower looking into the SIT's eyes.

"I... I know." Kennedy frowned. "But before... you guys weren't perfect."

"No, no we were working on stuff." Willow nodded slowly. "Kennedy, I don't want to hurt you but Tara is alive." She summed it up rather badly again.

"Willow, I know you don't want to hurt me or Tara. I know that you have to make the right decision which is why I'm saying it's okay and I know you need time and thinking space." Kennedy nodded.

"Oh, of course." Willow squeezed her hand before letting go. "Thank you." She looked up and saw the elevator land at B3. "The floor." The door began to open up slowly.

"Though speaking as a biased bystander, I think Tara should move out of your apartment." Kennedy leaned back and hit the door-closed button.

"Kennedy, that's the floor." Willow stepped back as the door closed again, she reached down to hit the open button.

"I know it's the floor Willow, I just want to talk to you." The SIT replied reaching out to stop them from opening.

"We were talking." Willow turned around. "I thought we could get checking the bike out of the way, it's creepy down here."

"I can do it for you." Kennedy shook her head. "So do you want me to talk to Anya, there's space for Tara at her place."

"Sorry?" Willow looked at her confused. "Why would Tara stay at Anya's?"

"Willow have you been listening to anything I've said or are you lost and unfocused thinking about my neck or my lips?" She grinned. "To give you space and thinking time Tara should move out, mentioned it about a minute ago."

"No, I'm not unfocused." Willow shook her head. "I just didn't hear you. Kennedy, I don't want Tara to move out."

"It's okay I wasn't suggesting you should be on your own, Dawn would stay with you and Anya could move in." Kennedy shook her head. "I wouldn't be happy with you being alone."

"No, Kennedy you're not hearing me. I don't want Tara to move out because I don't want 'Tara' to move out." Willow shook her head. "I know this is hard, I mean neither of us every anticipated this could happen." She reached up to the SIT's arm. "And I never want to hurt you, I always want to be friends Kennedy."

The SIT took a breath and looked at Willow's hand.

"No, no wait." She shook her head. "This is like way too soon to be saying."

"I know it's impossible to understand but my Tara, my everything is alive." Willow pulled her hand back seeing the look.

"She was your everything, she left you." Kennedy bit back quickly.

"But she came back, Kennedy I did horrible things to her with the magicks, you know all of this." Willow turned away leaning against the door.

"I know but I also know that she left, she left you and went to Europe, she let all these things happen to you." The SIT's tone grew harder.

"But she came back." Willow countered. "She came back and now she's with me. I'm sorry that it hurts you but I never wanted that to happen." She reached over to hit the door open button.

Kennedy slammed her hand back on the close door button.

"SHE LEFT YOU." She stated in a loud voice.

"And if she hadn't of left me she would have died!" Willow shrieked back startled by the hard smack the SIT's hand made on the wall.

"But she did and because she did you life was ruined." Kennedy shook her head. "She let you get hurt, she's not good for you. I can look after you."

"I don't care about any of that, all I care about is that she's back." Willow shook her head. "Kennedy, I want to get out now." She moved to hit the button again slowly.

"No, no wait." Kennedy took a few deep breaths. "It's okay, this is okay, we can work this out." She pulled her own hand back from the buttons.

"No, we can't." Willow pushed the open button waiting for the sliver between the doors to be big enough before she pressed her body out and began walking down the concrete corridor her boots echoing in the empty space.

"WILLOW!" Kennedy called from her place in the lift but the SIT didn't move.

The redhead didn't turn around she just continued on forward, glancing up trying to figure out where she was going to find Owl's Harley.

Cursing angrily Kennedy hit the close button and let the elevator doors slide closed cutting her off from the redhead.

Kennedy pushed the button to go back to Anya's apartment, then changing her mind she hit a different floor. She kicked the metal plate at the bottom of the door with her heavy boot making it rattle on its hinge back and forth for the five floors it took to reach where she wanted. Without hesitation she stalked down the hallway and knocked on the door to the corner apartment. The door was opened moments later by Dawn.

"Oh hi Kennedy, what... should you be here?" She frowned slightly.

"Where is she?" Kennedy pushed past Dawn. "I want to talk to her." She looked around seeing she wasn't in the living room and pushed on.

"Who... Kennedy Willow's not here." Dawn stared at the empty doorway for a moment before turning and watching her stalk into the apartment.

"Not Willow, this Tara." She pushed open the door to the bedroom and stared at the figure on the bed.

Tara was awake by the time the bedroom door opened, she jumped to sit up gathering the blankets around herself.

"How dare you?" Kennedy accused her immediately.

"How d... Who are you?" Tara frowned.

"How dare you come back after you just left her? Do you even know how much you hurt her? Do you even care one little bit?" Kennedy spat at her.

"C-C-Can you just s-s-step outside for a moment, I'll just put a shirt on and join you in the living room." Tara stuttered feeling very intimidated, mostly as she was lying in just her panties.

"Couldn't wait to get her in bed could you? Couldn't wait to do all those things you two used to do? You think I can't do any of that? You think I'd leave her?" Kennedy didn't back down.

"Kennedy you shouldn't be in there." Dawn hurried up behind the SIT and patted her on the shoulder.

"Go away Dawn." Kennedy growled at her. "I'm talking to Tara."

"Kennedy." Tara nodded softly and slipped her hand out pulled the short pink T-shirt Willow had been wearing, she know it would be far to small but at least it was something. "Look Kennedy, really if you'd just let me g-g-get dressed." She tried to reason understanding now who the young woman was.

"Fine get dressed." Kennedy glared at her. "I don't even want to look at you like that." She hissed pushing past Dawn towards the living room.

"Tara, I'm sorry." Dawn shifted her gaze back to Tara. "She's not usually, I don't know what's going on with her."

"It's okay Dawn I can deal." Tara held her hand up and then stopped. "But..." She frowned for a moment. "Where… where is Willow?" The blonde went pale. She couldn't imagine that with Kennedy ranting and raving the redhead was within earshot or she would have come immediately.

"Buffy phoned, she went to check on Owl's bike." Dawn tried to explain.

"On her own?" Tara frowned more and the teenager was forced to nod.

Tara pushed up from the bed, pulling on the small T-shirt and standing up in that and the short blue shorts she wore. Pulling on a pair of gray jogging bottoms from beside the bed she pushed towards the door.

"Let me get you a sweater." Dawn moved over to the closet and pulled out a thick hooded sweatshirt for her.

"No." Tara shook her head and ran through the bedroom and the room beyond to the door.

Kennedy stood with her hands on her hips waiting for Tara's arrival. When she heard the blonde's hurried footsteps she locked her jaw and waited.

Completely ignoring the SIT Tara ran to the door, still barefoot, pulling open the front door and running down the hall way to the elevator.

"Hello, I believe we were going to talk." Kennedy followed her out surprised by the blonde's move.

"I'm taking it you were with her." Tara threw an angry glare at the SIT as she hit the elevator call button, frustrated when it didn't arrive.

"Yes, of course I was, I am. I'm not giving up on her just because you've flown back into town." Kennedy took her hands on hip stance again.

"I mean just now!" Tara growled flinging open the stairwell door and taking off down them.

"She's in the underground." Kennedy followed after her. "All she could talk about was..." She stopped as Tara made it down another flight of steps. "She's in the underground." She finally tuned into the blonde's point of concern and began racing down the steps.

Tara wasn't even aware of how cold the concrete was on her feet as she yanked open the basement door and ran out onto the chilled tarmac.

"WILLOW!" She called loudly looking around. "Where is it?" Tara flicked her head over her shoulder.

"Far corner." Kennedy raced past where the blonde slowed knowing that the slip the bike was in was at the far end of the parking lot.

Tara turned and pushed forward in a hard run as Kennedy charged on rounding the alley that ran out from the doors down to take another right at the cross lane. When she did her boots began to slow as she rounded a tall van to see where Willow was. The redhead was lifted off the grounds, the gnarled hands of an uber vampire wrapped around her throat slamming her against the pillar next to Owl's bike.

"WILLOW!" Tara skidded to a stop. "Vashanta." She hissed flinging out her hand towards the pair, causing the fingers of the vampire's hand to spasm and release.

"It's a Turakan." Kennedy's eyes went wide. "We need Buffy." The SIT did a double take as Willow's body slid away from the uber vamp. "We have to get away from it." She looked around and ran forward before she jumped up grabbing one of the overhead pipes and hitting it with a swinging kick to send it back into the wall.

"Solunda liberatum." Tara focused her vision on the redhead whispering the spell and instantly Willow's fallen form flickered out of vision.

"What? Where is she?" Kennedy landed and looked around horrified. "What did you do to her?" The Uber vamp snapped back up to its feet snarling at them.

"Shut up." Tara snarled as she stared at the vampire. "Forward come forward." She whispered under her breath.

It snarled again looking between the two of them before it dug down making a leap over a car towards where they were.

"That's it." Tara kept her eyes locked, her bare feet backing up on the cold floor.

"Keep coming."

Kennedy felt her breath coming faster and harder as she watched the blonde taunting it out to her. The Uber took a few heavy steps seeming to size her up as it breathed in tilting its head and registering her power its eyes flared more. It then raised its arms, lowering on its legs ready to pounce at her.

Flicking her eyes from it Tara looked over to the side where a large blue jeep was parked, pushing both hands toward it she moved them in a fast arc to the space where the vamp was jumping.

"Run!" Kennedy saw her opening again and began running at the Uber vamp throwing her body into a hard kick to try and send it off balance.

"Kennedy no!" Tara separated her hands and flicked one off at Kennedy sending the SIT flying back into the door of a parked car just before the jeep took flight. The metal machine sideswiped the vampire throwing it to the wall and then crashing into the wall on top of it. "Oh Goddess." Tara sprinted forward to check the SIT.

"That won't kill it." Kennedy sputtered trying to push up off the ground just as there was a screech of metal as the vamp tried to free itself.

"It'll give us time, are you okay?" She reached down offering her a hand.

"What did you do to me?" Kennedy blinked trying to get her bearings as she was pulled to her feet.

"I got you out of the way." Tara replied, glancing over at the moving rocking jeep. "Get Willow and get her to the elevator."

"Where is she?" Kennedy looked around trying to get her bearings.

"Exactly where she was." Tara frowned waving her hand at the pillar where Willow had fallen. "Tascata." She whispered while moving off towards the jeep.

Kennedy didn't waste time trying to figure out what was going on. She hobbled over and lifted Willow up over her shoulder starting to run as fast as she could back to the elevator.

From behind the jeep the Uber managed to get enough leverage to push the jeep away and dig its way up the concrete with its claws. It turned hissing at Tara.

"Well you're new." Tara gave an uneven frown.

It hissed at her again and jumped down denting in the hood of the jeep.

"That's it." She whispered glancing over at the elevator to see the large metal doors slide open and Kennedy bundle Willow inside. "CLOSE THE DOORS!" She yelled as she backed up a little.

"What about you?" Kennedy yelled back putting Willow down inside.

"CLOSE THE DAMN DOORS!" Tara growled her blue eyes sparkling as she whispered something under her breath and the air around her seemed to shimmer a little.

The SIT obediently hit the button to make the doors slide close. The Uber lined up and took a hard leap at her intending to land and rip her throat out.

"Insendria." Curling herself up, Tara closed her eyes and whispered the spell. The jeep hood that the creature lept over that instantly burst into a fire ball of flame that caught onto the uber vamps legs.

The creature started howling as the gas fuelled fire engulfed up its body, sending its form into incineration just before the overhead sprinklers came on showering the area in cold water.

Tara kept her eyes closed long after the cold water started showering down over her, coming through the magical barrier she had raised and drenching her in moments. Pulling herself up to her cold feet she shivered as she looked around. She moved over to the now wet bike and she bent down picking up the fallen keys. As she did so a thick drop of blood spilled out of her nose, hitting the floor before being diluted by the sprinkler system.

Without thinking about it Tara put her hand into her joggers pocket to retrieve the tissue she knew was in there. Only she found it a soggy wet mess of paper, and she shook her head at her only silliness. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and then hurried over to the elevator.

Leaning forward heavily on the wall where the button was breathing heavily she pressed it with her finger. Almost immediately the doors squeaked open to reveal Willow on the floor and Kennedy bent over her trying to get her to wake up.

"W-W-Why didn't you get her back upstairs?" Tara asked breathing heavily as she looked into the lift.

"We couldn't leave you." Kennedy shook her head. "Buffy's first rule." She looked down at the devastation in the corner. "What did you do to it?"

"That's not important." Tara pushed herself into the lift and dropped to her knees again wiping the drop of blood form her nose. "Willow?" She whispered. "Sweetie."

"She won't wake up. I'll go get an ambulance." Kennedy pushed up and moved to the door.

"Is she breathing? Have you checked her pulse?" Tara blinked oddly out of focused eyes at the SIT as she rested her palm just above Willow's lips feeling for breath.

"Yes." Kennedy nodded to both.

"Okay." Tara gently ran her hand over Willow's cheek. "Come on baby don't do this to me." She rubbed the back of her fingers over soft pale skin.

"Ambulance?" Kennedy hovered in the doorway.

"We can't a hospital will be too hard to protect her in." Tara shook her head.

Slowly Willow's eyes darted a bit behind her eyelids before they struggled open.

"Tara?" She whispered disoriented.

"Hey there." Tara looked down and smiled leaning to softly kiss her forehead.

"Ouch did I have too many margaritas again?" She reached up towards her head.

"No, you were attacked by…" Tara turned to Kennedy. "What was that thing?" She asked of the SIT catching another thick drop of crimson blood on the back of her hand

"Uber vampire, Turakan." Kennedy filled in the name.

"There's another Uber Vamp?" Willow pushed up slightly panicked.

"Was." Tara clarified gently shivering in her wet clothes.

"Oh baby you're cold." Willow leaned up to her.

"I'm okay." Tara gently eased Willow back to lean against the side of the lift. "Kennedy would you close the doors." She asked looked at the dark haired girl.

Kennedy came back in pushing the button only to have the door closed and the machine clunked its way to a start.

"Thank you." Tara said politely thankful that it didn't take long before they reached their floor.

"Do you want me to carry her?" Kennedy stuck her foot out into the open door.

For a moment Tara was about to refuse the offer but instead she drew in a breath.

"Yes, thank you." She said nodding softly.

Kennedy quickly moved over picking up the redhead and trying not to show it as she struggled down the hall with her.

"I can walk." Willow protested slightly but she was deposited in her bed before she knew what was going on.

Trying to ignore the near blinding pain in her temple, Tara pushed down the hall after them reaching the front door only when Kennedy had put Willow on the bed.

"Tara?" Willow blinked her eyes open again looking at the door.

"She's right behind us Will." Kennedy assured scurried around to get her plumped up on pillows.

"Dawn, call your sister." Tara blundered through the apartment door.

"Oh my God, are you okay?" Dawn came scurrying out of the kitchen. "I already called her." She ran over to help Tara stand up.

"I-I-I'm fine." Tara dabbed the back of her hand to her nose to see if it was still bleeding.

"You're bleeding." Dawn put the cuff of her shirt over her hand and dabbed it up to Tara's nose.

"It's nothing." Tara shook her head and regretted it instantly. "Could you get me a towel?"

"Yes." Dawn hurried off getting her a tea towel and racing back with it. "Why is it doing that?" She squeaked.

"Why is what doing what?" Tara asked, she heard the baying of a fire truck. No doubt contact via the fire alarms in the garage had sent them rolling.

"Why is your nose bleeding? It's like when Willow took on..." Dawn's eyes went wide. "You did magic, you did Glory magic."

"Dawnie it's alright." Tara held the towel to her nose with one hand and rubbed the other one on her hair.

"You did magic." Dawn stepped closer her voice cloaked.

"There was something hurting Willow I had to stop it." Tara replied her voice dropping.

"But you don't do her type of magic." Dawn shook her head holding up the blood on her sleeve.

"It wasn't dark magic Dawn." Tara shook her head. "I promise you."

"It better not have been, I'm not having anyone else go around doing that." Dawn tried to warn her but it was more of a plea.

"I promise you." Tara took Dawn's hand lightly. "This is because of power channeling, not because of the type of magic."

"Okay. Kennedy took Willow in your bedroom." Dawn put her arm through Tara's.

"Thank you." Tara smiled softly. "I'll take the offer of that sweater up now." She added as she helped through the apartment.

-x-


	9. Chapter 9

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Nine.**

Buffy paced around the living room obviously agitated. The last thing she had wanted was to receive a frantic call from her sister that had told her almost nothing but filled her with a very real fear she was going to arrive to find more people she cared about dead.

"So basically if it wasn't for Kennedy none of this would have happened?" She looked at Tara who was sitting sipping some tea as she gave Buffy the explanation.

"Well not technically no." Tara shook her head. "If it wasn't for Kennedy both her and Willow may have been hurt."

"No but the hot head Queen was the one who left Willow alone in the first place." Buffy pointed out. "I'm taking a strip off her ass." She turned towards the door.

"Buffy wait." Tara pushed up from her place and Buffy stopped and turned looking at her.

"Could Kennedy have killed it?" Tara asked seriously.

"No." Buffy shook her head without hesitation. "It's tore through dozens of them, it almost killed me the first two times."

"Then if it wasn't for her, then Willow would be dead." She shivered sitting back down.

"I don't understand you said you were the one who killed it?" Buffy paced back to her.

"I was, but if Kennedy hadn't have woken me up I would have slept through Willow's murder." She blinked blue eyes.

"It's not that simple." Buffy sat down with a sigh. "God every time we get a foot ahead it beats us back down."

"This vampires, what are they?" Tara asked softly.

"First breed, some sorta bad fairy tale that gets passed from older vamps to the sires. The ones that came first before they were deluded with human blood." She tried to explain. "The pure vampires."

"And the main differences?" She pressed for details.

"Harder to kill, chest cavities like iron, takes a sledge to get a stake in them. Decapitation works, sunlight but they are hardy bastards." Buffy ran her hand through her hair. "They come right out of the Hellmouth."

"How?" Tara leaned back.

"You open the seal with blood, then the start popping out like corn." Buffy turned to look at her. "We closed it though, well for now."

"Well that's something then." Tara pointed out the positive.

"So any chance I can get you to take Dawn and Willow, put them on a plane and head back to Florence?" Buffy gave her a lopsided smile.

"I will willingly put Dawn and Willow on a plane out of here." Tara nodded. "But you know I can't leave."

"Damn it Tara, this isn't your fight. You just walked into this." Buffy stood up again. "It doesn't even know you're here, get out now while you can."

"Buffy you said yourself, you're not winning this right now and having a witch…" She paused. "Having a powerful witch on your side might help tip the scales."

"No offence but Willow can't even do anything." Buffy looked at her sadly sitting down only because she didn't want to tower over the quiet blonde. "She tries and the First sends a full force of evil into her threatening to turn her."

"Willow and I are very different witches Buffy." Tara looked up though long eyelashes.

"I know." Buffy held the gaze. "Tara, I know you know a lot but this is a whole other arena. This is full contact, those things, the First they don't pull punches and twinkle bell isn't going to cut it."

Tara looked down briefly closing her eyes she whispered a few words and looked at Buffy.

"Try and get out of the chair." She instructed her voice soft.

"Ha, ha funny Tara." Buffy went to stand up again and found she couldn't move. "Yeah okay so..." She pushed harder using her strength but got no where, she found quickly she couldn't even turn her head. "I can... so..." She locked her jaw and pushed harder and harder. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Trying to show you something." Tara replied firmly.

"What that you can glue me to a chair? Nice trick." Buffy growled and managed to raise the top of her finger.

"Liber." Tara whispered blinking, she hoped Buffy had stopping pushing up because she knew that instantly the Slayer would be free and if she wasn't careful would topple out of the chair.

"I think it's time you tell me what you've been up to while you've been away Tara." Buffy hand flung up but the rest of stayed down.

"Training." Tara took a breath and looked down.

"Training for what?" The question was instantenous.

"To come back here." She replied relaxing back into the chair again and crossing her long legs.

"To what kick my ass?" Buffy gave a soft laugh.

"Not to kick your ass no." Tara shook her head.

"Well if not mine then..." Buffy's face went pale. "Tara, tell me I've gone insane."

"I didn't know it was Willow and for all I know now it isn't Willow." Tara shook her head. "I worked with a coven in Italy." She explained with a soft sigh matched by the Slayer.

"How powerful are you?" She moved over closer to the blonde. "And I want the truth, no being modest or hiding behind anything. How powerful?"

"Powerful enough to face what it is they sent me here to face, at least I hope I am." Tara blinked at Buffy. "The coven were sent word of a dark power source which they traced here. I volunteered to be the one they trained and sent."

"Because if it was Willow?" Buffy turned to her and the blonde looked away. "Don't answer that." Buffy stood up shaking her head. "Please... I had to face down Willow, I tried to face down Willow. I don't ever want to hear that answer again." She took a few deep breaths. "You are so messing up my Dawn and her happy lesbian moms fantasy you know that right?" She looked at the blonde frowning.

"I love Willow Buffy." She whispered looking back at her. "I love all of you."

"Maybe there was a really good reason the First sent a shadow of you." Buffy looked at her; the Slayer's voice was soft but honest. "Maybe this is our sign that we can win this."

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." Tara admitted confused by the logic.

"Tara, we're losing." Buffy admitted sadly moving over to sit on the coffee table in front of the witch. "It's picking off the SIT's and there's nothing we can do to stop it." She looked down. "You killed an uber by yourself. Up till tonight only I'd done that and it kicked my ass while I did."

"Well technically the fireball killed it." Tara smiled softly.

"Smart ass." Buffy looked up and smiled back at her.

"So do you want me to book two tickets?" Tara asked softly, her blue eyes gentle.

"Willow won't leave you." Buffy admitted. "Dawn won't leave." She sighed. "We just need to come up with a plan."

"A plan it is then." Tara nodded. "How is Owl?"

"Worse for wear but she's tough." Buffy leaned her elbows on her knees.

"What do you know about what you are facing?" Tara asked for information gently.

"You want another tea? I'll give you the full story." Buffy pointed to her cup.

-x-

Willow pulled the ice pack off her head when she heard the bedroom door close and looked up in the dim light to the figure that moved in and over to the bed.

"Are you okay?" She questioned her lover softly, easily seeing the ginger way that she tried not to jostle herself around as she laid down in bed.

"Headache." Tara replied in a whisper.

"Let me get you a heat pack and some pills." The redhead immediately pushed up knowing that whenever the blonde had gotten a headache there was a certain regime that must be followed to get rid of it.

"No angel, you rest, hopefully it'll just pass." Tara reached out blindly to her side to keep the redhead laying down, having not already seen her sit up.

"Nope. I know the drill." Willow moved around drawing the blanket up over Tara's body. "Heat pack, three pills and nice large glass of ice water." She leaned down kissing Tara's cheek very softly. "Please baby, I want to take care of you." She whispered her voice a little shaky. "I never dreamed I'd get to do it again."

"But..." The blonde stopped. "How is your neck?" She asked gently smiling.

"Mmmm feels like I have a very large vampire trying to choke me but he's only using a quarter of his strength now." Willow assured her. "I'll be right back." She kissed her lover's cheek again and moved out.

Tara took a light breath and closed her eyes trying to force her body to relax into the comfort of the bed and make her head to settle from its crazy cart-wheeling whirl.

It didn't take long before Willow returned with a long thin heat pack and another one shaped like a crescent moon. Both were toasty warm, in her other hand she had three painkillers and a large glass of ice water.

"Here we go, just need to get these down." Willow sat down on the edge trying not to rattle the bed.

"Is Buffy still here?" Tara asked softly as she took the pills and leaned forward. "She went in to talk to Dawn."

"I think so, Dawn's door was shut." Willow nodded letting Tara swallow the pills before she settled the large heat pack behind her shoulders and then helped her lie down, settling the long one over her forehead. "How's that baby?"

"Mmmm better." Tara closed her eyes again. "You're not getting up are you?" She checked.

"No, I got a lot of ice left to melt." Willow smiled and slowly moved around to her side of the bed settling down beside her. "Did you talk with Buffy?"

"Yes." Tara replied and then paused for a moment. "Do you want to talk to me about Kennedy?" She asked in an even quieter voice.

"I... I'm sorry." The redhead apologized turning over to look at the blonde even though most of her face was obscured. "She's really a very nice girl, she's just hurting I guess and not thinking straight and it wasn't her fault with the Uber, you know that right?"

"Well I can't say I wasn't mad at her for being so foolish as to leave you alone." Tara replied honestly.

"She wasn't thinking very straight at that moment." Willow bit her lip thinking about how helpless she had begun to feel when Kennedy had kept baring the door.

"Again I ask is there anything you want to tell me about Kennedy." Tara turned her head slightly and opened on blue eye.

"She had this crazy notion that I might still want to be with her and not you." The redhead pointed out sheepishly. "She didn't react well when I corrected her."

"Didn't react well how?" Tara frowned and opened the other eye.

"She kept talking, trying to get me to agree to what she was saying, agree that I should have space from both of you to make my decision." Willow didn't answer right away but then she saw Tara frown harder. "She boxed me in, kept shutting the door to the elevator because she wanted to 'talk with me alone'."

"I don't think I want to know the answer to this really, but just h-h-h-how serious were you two?" She asked in a whisper.

"Not that serious... No! We never slept together." Willow shook her head against the pillow. "Well no we slept in the same bed because it was so cramped at Buffy's and I didn't want to have to sleep on the floor but we didn't... Didn't have sex." Her voice went down to a whisper.

Tara took another breath and turned on her side, feeling the heat pack slip from her forehead.

"And was she right, do you need time, space?" She asked softly.

"No!" Willow shook her head leaning up on one elbow. "Tara I love you, I don't ever need time or space to think about whether or not I want to be with you. The answer is always yes, right now." She looked at the blonde. "Baby, if... If I hadn't of thought... If the First hadn't of tricked me." She scowled. "Then there never would have been anything at all with Kennedy, ever. Only you, I want to marry you remember?"

"I want to marry you too." Tara cupped the redhead's cheek. "Though I think there may be a need for that to be underlined to a few people." She added softly. "As does the little matter of your safety." She rubbed her thumb lightly in place.

"She's not a bad person and I've never seen her act like that." Willow leaned her hand into the touch. "But she needs to know, I... We need to tell her so that she understands." She shifted closer to the blonde. "That there is only you."

"Guy's I need to get back to the house." The bedroom door opened and Buffy's head appeared around it.

"Okay... Okay that's great." Willow pulled back a bit almost feeling like some silly teenager who'd been caught with her girlfriend in her room. "Oh wait." She saw the Slayer closing the door and called her back. "Buffy, we need to tell you something." She gripped onto Tara's hand.

"Okay." Buffy stopped and turned trying not to frown. "Shoot, that is tell me." She frowned at her own insensitivity.

"Tara and I, well when all this crazy First stuff is over and you've defeated it and we've closed the Hellmouth... We're getting married." Willow looked at her lover and smiled lovingly.

"You're..." Buffy looked between them. "Married?" She whispered the foreign word.

"Going to get, yes." Willow grinned as best as she could with the ring of bruising around her throat and looked between them. "Aren't we baby?"

"When everything is over and sorted." Tara nodded. "It's the plan." She looked at Buffy whose hazel eyes looked right back at her.

"Well that's, that's great Will, for both of you." She tried to move her eyes back to Willow.

"We wanted to tell you, to tell everyone." Willow smiled leaning into Tara's shoulder carefully. "You'll be careful on your way home right?"

"Super careful." Buffy nodded. "You want me to drop Dawn off at Anya's so you two can you know, celebrate?" She checked thinking it had been a spur of the moment recent decision.

"No she's fine, we both need to rest our heads." The redhead secured Tara's arm around her body.

"Rest, yeah, rest is good." Buffy backed up a bit. "Have you told Dawn?"

"Not yet, you're the first to know." Willow smiled at her best friend. "Is she still up we could tell her?" She looked at Tara.

"I'm up, tell me what?" Dawn bounced into the room carrying a large bag of chips.

"Hey I thought I told you know coming into Willow and Tara's bedroom, adult private place." Buffy turned and scowled at her.

"Hello Buffy you're in it, they're hardly going to be making out with you watching." The teenager defended herself. "You wouldn't right?" She glanced at Willow.

"Not much." Willow teased Dawn, hoping the teenager would remember how they used to tease Buffy about stuff like this. "Right Tara?"

"Just small amounts of smooching." Tara smiled.

"We have something to tell you Dawn." Willow looked at the blonde. "You should tell her, I got to tell Buffy."

"Dawnie." Tara looked at the teenager who had looped her arm through her sister's and was looking over at the both of them on the bed. "Willow and I are engaged."

"You're what?" Dawn's face lit up. "Oh my God, Buffy did you hear?"

"Yeah." Buffy smiled, though there was something strained about the emotion.

"No actual big thing until after all of this is over, when things get settled." Willow grinned at her enthusiasm. "But once we've defeated the First nothing will stop us." She turned giving Tara a soft kiss.

"Oh my God!" Dawn pulled her arm free of Buffy's and clapped skipping over to the bed and bouncing down on it. "This is so amazing, first we get Tara back and now you two are getting married." She dropped forward and hugged them both in unison. "We need a party." She looked over at Buffy.

"We have to deal with the First Dawn then we can think about having a party." Buffy watched the three of them. The ease and familiarity between them making her feel more and more like an outsider. "I should get home though. Dawn don't bother them all night." She warned. "Congratulations guys, I'm really happy for you." She smiled lightly and then pushed out into the hallway.

-x-

Buffy felt heavy as she dragged herself up the stairs of the quiet house. Though she'd never admit it to anyone, she'd actually gotten used to the constant din of SIT's fighting and talking. It meant life was going on around her but right now in the quiet she felt like life was going on somewhere far away without her.

Not that she wasn't happy for Willow, somewhere inside she was so relieved but in another instance she just felt apathy about it. Here it was Tara was alive back in town and planning on marrying the redhead, for what? So that in the battles ahead they could both see each other suffer and die?

She sighed again pressing into her room without thought that it was where she had set Owl up to rest when they'd gotten her back from the hospital. She walked to the closet in the dark and pulled off her blouse, kicking off her boots and moving to undo her belt.

"Carry on I have my eyes closed." Owl's voice came from the bed.

"What?" Buffy turned around a bit startled staring at the bed. "Oh Owl, I'm sorry I forgot. I'm sorry." She grabbed her robe from the back of the closet door.

"You can stop apologizing it's okay." The SIT said shaking her head. "And do you want me to leave you in peace, I'm pretty sure I could make it out of the room and collapse in the hallway."

"No, you better stay right there. I didn't drag you up here to drag you back in later." Buffy shook her head and moved over. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"Pain killers wore off. How's my bike?" Owl asked. "The girls told me you'd gone round to the apartment building. I hope Willow didn't mind me asking, I didn't mean to make you go over."

"You're bike is... Well... Really good considering." Buffy bit her lip. "It sorta had a run in with an Uber vamp."

"I'm thinking oh crap." Owl frowned. "Shit tell me Willow wasn't hurt, God I'm an ass, it's just a bike I didn't think."

"Tara saved her." Buffy shook her head. "She's just got a nice ring of nasty bruises..." She put her hand by her throat. "It's not really oh crap, just gonna need a good wash and shine."

"Okay relaxing about the bike and Willow." Owl was visibly relieved. "But run that by me again, Tara saved her? I thought Tara was well just Tara."

"No." Buffy shook her head and sank down on the edge of the bed. "Apparently she's been all witchy combat training while she was away, some coven sent her back her to help with the evil uprising in Sunnydale."

"Well that's good news isn't it?" Owl frowned wondering why Buffy wasn't being brighter about this. "I mean a super trained witch specially focused to put the First through her magical paces, one for the good guys."

"If that was the possible case then Willow would have been able to slice and dice it." Buffy shook her head. "Oh and they're getting married, with the woo and the hoo." She frowned more.

"Okay let me get this straight, Willow is your best friend, Tara her lover who you all thought was dead is back and healthy and trained to kick ass. Now add that she and your best friend just got engaged and you are moping around like you just lost the key to a deposit box of hundred dollar bills." The potential raised an eyebrow.

"No, no I'm not moping I'm happy for them, very happy. I just wish they weren't making all these expectations when we're in the middle of a war with Evil." Buffy looked at the SIT in the dark. "I saw what happened when Willow thought she was dead, what if this time she dies for sure? Or worse Willow dies and now Tara's poised for world ending witch power."

"Are you always this optimistic or am I just getting a special Buffy show?" Owl asked from her place.

"Look I should go, do you want more painkillers? They're in the drawer." Buffy moved to pull it out.

"Buffy slow down sit a while yeah?" The SIT offered.

"You need to heal and rest, you don't need me running down non-optimistic lane dragging you along." She rummaged around and found a large unmarked bottle.

"Buffy please." Owl restated. "Sit with me for at least a minute, I've been up here alone for what feels like forever."

"Its quiet here isn't it?" Buffy managed to settle down on the edge.

"Yeah very, the girls are all huddled together downstairs." The potential explained. "They felt safer in the basement with you not home."

"It's been a madhouse." The Slayer admitted. "But you miss it sadly enough when it's gone."

"Then get them back." Owl offered with a shrug.

"I would like to be able to say they are safer where they are, but the whole Willow attack doesn't scream that does it?" Buffy leaned her arm over Owl's lower legs so she could rest on it.

"No it doesn't, that kind screams in the middle of no where with no protection." Owl was honest.

"Now you're panicking me." Buffy looked at her. "I should round everyone up and get them home." She began to push up again.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." Owl shook her head and made a move to push up wincing. "I'll come with."

"Hey Miss staying in bed girl." Buffy reached up to guide her back down. "Notice the clever name denotes what you are going to do."

"I need to be useful." Owl pointed out.

"You need to rest and heal." Buffy shook her head and lightly held her there.  
"It's probably not wise to move everyone tonight, the First doesn't bother to waste more than one Uber at a time yet."

"So you can stand down and relax a little?" Owl pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess some sleep wouldn't kill me." Buffy nodded pulling her arms back.

"Are you sure there's nothing else bothering you?" Owl watched the move carefully.

"Why don't you tell me?" Buffy leaned back retying her robe.

"Well you're tense, you're bordering on exhaustion, you're concerned that your best friend has been given her life back on a plate and that it might be all taken away from her. You're facing an enemy you know little about, without any real idea of how you are going to kill it." The potential began with the obvious facts.

"Mmmm yes." Buffy nodded sadly.

"And you're thinking about going out to find Spike aren't you?" Owl added.

Buffy stopped and turned her eyes flashing in the dark showing the SIT was right long before she managed to object.

"No, of course not." She pressed the two ties into a tighter bow.

"It's okay Buffy, I get it. Well no, I don't, but I understand why you would." Owl replied softly.

"Can you explain it to me because I have no clue?" The Slayer pushed up and moved to retrieve her brush and started running it through her hair.

"Willow has Tara back, no doubt your sister is like on cloud nine if they've told her about the engagement. Xander and Anya are well, lets be honest, they'll be sleeping together again soon if nothing else and your facing the end of the world and you're, alone." She summed up. "Spike may not be any of the things you actually want right now but he's better than having nothing."

"Wow you're good at that." Buffy put the brush down with a slight thump.

"My first attempt." Owl watched her.

"And what do you want right now?" Buffy asked the simple question moving back over and sitting down again, something about the way that Owl just jabbed in the accusation without malice or pretence was comforting.

"To stop you from going." Owl answered honestly. "Because you're better than that."

"Piper you don't know me." Buffy shook her head.

"I don't need to know you to know you are worth more that sleeping with someone who would rape you." Owl retaliated.

"I'm sick of being alone." Buffy looked away the word biting into her as she flashed back to a scene from the bathroom.

"You're not alone Buffy, you have amazing friends and a great little sister." Owl shook her head.

"I am alone, I'm the slayer and I'm my own sinking island." Buffy disagreed.

"Shame you're straight." The SIT on the bed said with a smile.

"What does that matter?" Buffy looked at her confused.

"Oh come on Buffy, I mean I've never met Tara, but hello! Willow and you have been around each other for an age, if you'd leant her way at all, the two of you would be celebrating your golden wedding anniversary soon." Owl smiled at the image.

"Isn't that a bit inclusive to say that if I was remotely gay I'd be with Willow?"  
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Maybe Willow's not my type."

"Maybe she's not." Owl nodded laughing softly. "In fact we know she's not."

"She's my best friend, there's that line there." Buffy turned a bit. "Who was the first girl you were with? The one that told you that you weren't straight."

"Oh go for the jugular Buffy why don't you." Owl winced slightly and leaned back.

"You don't pull punches why should I?" Buffy challenged.

"Good point." Owl conceded the point easily. "The first girl I kissed was called Joanne, we were both sixteen."

"And you knew?" The Slayer leaned again relaxing more.

"Well I lost my virginity to a girl, that helped seal the deal." Owl gave a widesmile.

"I lost my virginity to a vampire." Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm doomed." She leaned back on the bed fully.

"No, you just like setting yourself a challenge." Owl shook her head. "So I'm taking it that vampire isn't this vampire."

"No, I really loved Angel. More than anything." Buffy sighed. "He has a soul, long story but if he has a moment of pure happiness he turns back into a soulless monster. Guess when he lost it?"

"I'm thinking it's linked to the virginity story." The potential frowned at the irony.

"Great for a girl's ego, one night with me and you turn into a bloodthirsty killer." Buffy sighed harder. "I think I should just give up on living."

"I think you should start." Owl replied instantly.

"What?" Buffy turned pushing up so she could see into the SIT's eyes in the dim light.

"I want to make a bet with you." The SIT said meeting the look.

"A bet?" Buffy laughed lightly at the idea.

"Yeah, it's a blind bet. I bet if you decide that you're going to live the life you have left before whatever happens- happens, something will happen to you that has never happened before."

"How do we know when one of us has won?" The blonde wasn't completely convinced.

"Easy, it'll happen pretty quick after you decide and if it doesn't you win and I have to do the laundry for a week, and if it does you have to." Owl paused to think for a moment. "You have to repeat the event at least twice to give it a fair shot."

"We're betting my eternal happiness on laundry duty." Buffy couldn't help but laugh, rather loudly as she looked at the SIT's serious face. "Fine you're on."

"Cool, now all you have to do is think about whether or not you want to live." Owl leaned her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. "Oh and you have to tell me when you've decided." She opened on eye.

"Owl, everyone wants to live. If I didn't I would just let some two bit vampire bite me." Buffy watched her settle down almost pleased to see the injured woman relax.

"You're confusing living with existing Buffy." Owl closed her eye again and shook her head. Buffy sat there for a few minutes, choosing to look at the window until she took a big breath.

"I want to live, I want to see Willow and Tara married, see Dawn grow up." She whispered feeling her body grow heavier.

"Sure?" Owl asked from beside her.

"Yes." Buffy nodded closing her eyes. "I want to live."

Painfully shifting up on the bed Owl moved swiftly forward, sliding one hand up Buffy's cheek and boldly pressed her lips to the Slayer's. She kissed her with passion but tenderness for a moment, releasing her just as quickly to drop back on her pillows.

"Good choice." She said smirking closing her eyes and fighting the wave of pain that flooded over her.

"You just..." Buffy sat up her fingertips going to her lips as she tried to consolidate just how there was a shot of pleasure going through her.

"Kissed you, never been kissed by a girl before have you?" Owl kept her eyes closed.

"No." The Slayer was forced to draw in a long breath as she pushed out the word.

"Well looks like I won, good job really I hate laundry." Owl forced her cramping muscles to relax, not wanting to break the strange spell that seemed to hang in the air.

"You won? How have you won?" Buffy leaned over looking at her inquisitively.

"Our bet, I bet you that if you decided to live life then something would happen to you that has never happened before. You decided, I kissed you, I win." Owl smirked and closed her eyes.

"Ah actually I believe you said it had to happen at least twice." Buffy put forward her eyes glancing down to the SIT's lips.

"No, you're penalty for losing was that you had to repeat it at least twice." Owl smirked behind closed lids.

"I guess I should go find Willow then." Buffy made a calculated guess waiting to see Owl's eyes open.

"I wouldn't, not if Tara is all big magic trained because she'll kick your ass." Slowly Owl opened one eye.

"Guess I'll just have to settle for a repeat." Buffy didn't know what possessed her but before she could stop herself she leaned forward and meshed her lips to Owl's.

Owl had to be honest she had not expected the Slayer to return her kiss. One of the reasons she had done it was because she had wanted to from the moment she had sat on her bike and wrapped her arms around her, and the opportunity to at least kiss her once had been too good to pass up. Especially as being injured already she doubted Buffy would hit her for her boldness.

Owl was even more surprised when instead of pulling back, Buffy pressed harder into the kiss her mouth opening as she moved her lips against the SIT's. Lifting her strangely no longer aching arm, Owl cupped the back of Buffy's head and pressed slightly harder in the kiss herself, trailing her tongue lightly over the Slayer's lips. It only took the briefest contact to make Buffy open her mouth more, urging Owl's tongue to move further.

Owl wasn't about to refuse the invitation as she slid her tongue passed Buffy's lips into the warm mouth beyond, moaning softly as she did so. The Slayer, who was surprised by the noise that came out of her own body, echoed the moan. For a body she knew had been gearing up in its own way for another round of hard, dangerous sex with Spike, now found itself in a soft embrace and engaged in a toe curling kiss.

"Wow." She summed up pulling her head back a little she opened both eyes and looked at Buffy.

"I don't do laundry for just anything." Buffy blinked trying to keep her cool veneer but finding it failing.

"Buffy I think maybe I should explain, oh hell why should we..." Owl pushed back to recapture the Slayer's mouth, this time going into the kiss with an open mouth and an eager tongue.

"Just what I was thinking." Buffy groaned when their hot mouths parted for a moment, a moment she didn't let linger as she sunk into the luscious feeling their kisses brought her and kissed Owl a fourth time.

Ignoring the flares of pain through her body, Owl moved her arms loosely around Buffy gently suggesting to her that they recline. The other woman's body followed her down immediately, settling tentatively as if aware of her aching ribs but still eagerly increasing the contact between them as she caught Owl's tongue in her mouth and sucked on it.

Owl groaned again, the pleasure Buffy created overtaking the pain she was feeling. Buffy knew she didn't know what she was doing, but she didn't imagine that enjoying time with a woman wasn't much different minus the glaring differences.  
She leaned her arm up so she could hover, assaulting Owl's mouth with continuous kisses. She was in that vulnerable position, when she heard a hard knock come to the window behind the closed curtains. She pulled back almost panicked, acting like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Ow." Owl made the small noise as she was painfully jolted back to reality.

"Stay there." Buffy rolled expertly off the bed coming down on the other side without a noise, she pulled a stake out from under it and crept her way to the window peeking out. "Spike, what the hell are you doing?" She pulled it back staring at him angrily.

"Heard about the fire at the apartment, was wondering if everyone was okay." The vampire replied his eyes narrowing a little.

"Everyone's fine." She stared at him.

"Are you sure, you're looking a little, peaky." He balanced more on the sill.

"I was almost asleep." Buffy looked back to where Owl was on the covers. "Go home Spike." She reached up to close the window.

"Hey, hey now be friendly slayer." Spike put his hands up to stop the move. "I could come in."

"Baby is the window open, I'm cold." Owl groaned sleepily from the bed.

"Spike..." Buffy glanced to the bed then looked back at him. "Goodnight."

"Are you busy slayer?" He asked in a low voice his eyes narrowing.

"I'm always busy Spike, the world is attempting to end and I'm trying to stop it." She hissed back at him.

"You're a surprise every time aren't you." Spike heard his voice growl slightly.

"You have no idea what you are talking about." Buffy leaned in growling at him more. "Now go home."

"Who's the lucky SIT eh Buffy?" Spike pushed his hand around the open window as if to push himself in

"Get out." Buffy arm bared him back out the window.

"You know I can give you what you need now, you don't have to do this." Spike tried to reason with her.

"You can never give me what I need Spike." Buffy shook her head. "It's time for me to start living and you smell like death." She leaned back closing the window on him and locking it.

"Buffy!" Spike slammed his palm flat out on the glass.

Defiantly she flicked the curtain back to cover up his view.

"Damn you slayer!" He cursed and then could be heard to jumping down to the lawn.

"I'm sorry about that." Buffy lay down on the side away from Owl taking a deep breath.

"Will he go now?" Owl asked noting how Buffy secluded herself again.

"He'll lurk outside for awhile, see if I come around and go out to meet him."  
Buffy pulled the bottom of her robe down to cover her legs even though she still had her pants on.

"Are you going to?" She asked without edge or malice.

"I don't want to smell death tonight." Buffy's voice was as fractured as her spirit.

"You've done nothing wrong Buffy." Owl reached out and placed her hand lightly on Buffy's back.

"Didn't I? All those times I didn't send him away." Buffy's body shivered relaxing a bit with the touch.

"Everyone wants to feel something Buffy, everyone." Owl rubbed her hand back and forth slightly.

"What do you do when you want to feel something?" She whispered pulling her arms up to her body.

"Reach out and touch it." Owl replied her voice soft. "Just touch it, hold it." She added turning slightly she laid her arm over Buffy and pressed her head against her back.

Buffy felt the SIT's warm body settle against her, seeping heat through her thin robe into her skin. She felt her body break into a silent sob, not even registering in her own mind that she was crying as slowly her hand moved down and covered the one resting open on her stomach.

-x-

Buffy was woken from her comfortable sleep, without registering the warm body next to her she pushed out of bed and down the stairs towards the door that had starting banging and been the reason for an end to her slumber. Retying her robe she looked out the security glass and laughed in disbelief.

"Look what the cat dragged in." She opened the door with a scowl.

"Nice to see you to B." Faith smiled and looked the blonde up and down. "Did I get you out of bed?"

"I was..." Buffy suddenly realized what she was wearing and pulled it tighter. "It is six in the morning Faith."

"Yeah and you'd be up having your Wheaties right about now last I knew you." The dark Slayer nodded.

"Things change." Buffy looked her up and down seeing the classic leather on leather style that the dark Slayer loved.

"Well everything apart from my dress sense it seems." Faith caught on to the other Slayer's evaluation of her. "Hadn't you better hop back to bed before Mr. Right wakes up?" She eyed the stairs behind Buffy.

"For your information I was keeping watch on an injured potential." Buffy sighed and stepped back waving her in. "Join the mayhem devil child." She rolled her eyes at the predicament. After all she needed every fighter she could get and could hardly afford to send Faith away.

"Been called worse things by better." Faith strode in and picked up an apple from the fruit bowl near the door. "So where's the hubbub, I'd heard there was big trouble."

"It's called the First, as in the first evil." Buffy followed it in. "It's trying to end the slayer line. We figured you were safe in prison, oh by the way... why the hell aren't you in prison?" She looked at the dark Slayer.

"Got bored of going down on girls I normally wouldn't look twice at." She gave Buffy a charming smile and bit into the apple.

"You know I almost missed that crude way you have of dragging a conversation down to the lowest possible point." Buffy shook her head and sat down on the couch.

"Hey at least you know it can only go up from here." Faith sat on the arm of a chair. "So again I say where is everyone? I expected at least Red to be up and with the research, not to mention the G-man. Though doesn't she do that shit now that... well you know I heard that the shy blonde got shot." Faith actually winced. "Tough break."

"Actually..." Buffy was forced to laugh. "She didn't get shot, a shadow that the First planted died in her place. She's back in Willow's arms as we speak."

"Wow the LA grapevine screwed that one up." Faith shrugged. "Still doesn't tell me where the love birds are."

"We have a lot of potential slayers here for safety, I've got them split up over three other locations to try and keep some of them alive. Dawn is with Tara and Willow and Giles is with Xander at his place, Anya has some girls at hers. The rest are here." Buffy finally gave her the answers.

"Hmmm okay I'll ask since when has divide and be stronger been a tactic?" Faith frowned.

"Since they are getting killed off more than one a night." Buffy looked away. "Faith, if you're here to help fight this fine I'll bury the hatchet somewhere other than your head but if you're here to cause trouble I will pull up on the blade this time." She looked back her stare hard.

"Easy B easy." Faith frowned and pulled back dropping onto the cushion of her chair. "I'm one of the good guys now, all redeemed and righteous. Well you know trying not to kill the innocent anyway." She gave a usual smoldering smile.

"Then I should tell you all the details." Buffy took a breath and started the long story.

-x-

"The girls are getting married, the girls are getting married." Dawn did a little dance across the kitchen singing her little song vaguely to the tune of some old conga like song. Dropping two slices of bread into the toaster she pushed it down and pulled open the fridge.

"Morning." Willow pushed in grumbling as she rubbed at her neck.

"The girls are get... Oh hello." She squeaked. "You're not supposed to be up. I'm making engagement breakfast."

"Oh... I didn't know." Willow blinked at her.

"Well you wouldn't, it's a surprise." Dawn replied grinning. "Are you okay?" She added loosing a little of her momentum.

"Neck feels mushy." Willow explained. "Remind me never to let an Uber corner me again."

"We have muscle rub and pain killers to help." Dawn offered. "Is Tara awake?"

"Not yet." Willow shook her head. "Want me to help you with it and we can surprise her?"

"I wanted to surprise you both." Dawn grumbled looking at her. "Unless, do you not want a celebratory breakfast?" She softened her disappointment.

"No, I'll go back to bed." Willow moved over and hugged her. "Thank you."

Dawn's smile went back to full force as she went back to work on her toast and other breakfast items. Just as Willow left the kitchen the doorbell sounded making her veer away from the bedrooms and to the front of the apartment.

"I'll get it then straight to bed I go." Willow moved to the door to stop Dawn from following. Seeing who was there through the safety glass she opened the door slowly. "Kennedy." She said the SIT's name leaning on the door.

"I… I just wanted to apologize." Kennedy stood where she was and looked uncharacteristically sorry for herself.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Willow checked, looking her up and down.

"No." Kennedy shook her head. "The witch… I mean Tara, she took care of everything."

"I'm glad you weren't hurt." Willow didn't rise to the way that Kennedy said her lover's name.

"Well, like I said I only came to say sorry and to check that you were okay." Kennedy shifted a little in her place. "And to apologize for being an ass, it's just..."  
She took a breath. "You could have told me." She glanced into the apartment. "About Tara."

"Could have told you?" Willow looked at her. "Kennedy she's been back three days, I haven't really had a chance to do much. I'm sorry, I was going to speak to you as soon as I could."

"No, I know I meant more tell me that she was like hello Super Witch." Kennedy shook her head. "I mean there's me with the I can protect her and look after her and then she throws a jeep at an Uber and makes you disappear, makes me fly through the air and then makes a car explode." She coughed lightly. "I mean even as a slayer I couldn't better that."

"What?" Willow looked at her confused. "I thought... she made me disappear? She blew up a car?"

"Awesome." Kennedy nodded. "You really should have told me Will, I'd have been you know, more respectful." She shuffled a little more. "Its just you made her sound you know, kinda, well." She struggled to find a word. "Weak."

"Kennedy, I don't know what went on down there but Tara was never weak, she's not super witch either." The redhead shook her head. "That you ever thought she was weak isn't something I ever told you."

"No you never said it, just you know with all the you were private talk, and everything, I just got the impression she was little miss do not a lot. But hey." Kennedy shook her head. "Respect to her, she totally kicks ass."

"She does." Willow tried to keep her mind on the conversation but she was confused and glanced back down the hallway.

"Well look it's early, I only, well like I said." Kennedy shifted on the spot again and then took a step back. "You should put some rub on your neck."

"I was just going to. I'll see you later okay? Willow nodded and put her hand on the door.

"Yeah, later." Kennedy put her hand up in a still wave before turning and walking to the lift.

Willow found herself moving on automatic as she shut the door and plodded back to the bedroom. She closed the door behind her and moved over to the bed.

"Mmmm my Willow pillow moved." Tara blinked blue eyes at the redhead.

"I went to get some heat rub." She moved over and sat down taking her lover's hand.

"Oh sweetie I'm sorry, you should have woke me to get it." Tara frowned holding onto the hand lightly.

"No, its fine." Willow shook her head. "Tara..." She looked at the blonde. "What spells did you do yesterday?" She tried to keep her voice even.

"Spells?" Tara looked away briefly. "Oh nothing really, Kennedy deserves the credit for carrying you away to safety, I was just you know the bait to keep the ugly away from you." She offered trying one of her best innocent shrugs.

"Kennedy just stopped by to apologize." Willow looked at her. "Baby, what spells did you do?" She asked again.

Tara took another breath and turned to look at Willow.

"I..." She stopped. "I did a primal release, to get the Uber to let you go. Then I did a mask to cover you, a levitation to move a car and then a combustion to blow its engine." She relayed the information. "And a shield, for me, so I wasn't turned into Tara toast." She tried a goofy smile.

"All together?" Willow reached up smoothing her thumb over Tara's cheek the smile melting her.

"I had someone precious to keep safe." She whispered with a nod.

"How?' Willow whispered back reaching down to cup her hands around Tara's.

"Carefully." Tara offered as an answer.

"You didn't just go sightseeing in Florence did you?" Willow checked her brain finally catching up. Tara shook her head slowly. "How powerful?" She brought Tara's hand up and kissed it.

"The people I worked with, oh they were very powerful." Tara nodded her head sounding very much like she had a good two years before she and like she was hiding something

"I meant you." Willow corrected breathing out.

"Me?" Tara's voice squeaked a little. "I'm just me Willow."

"Tara, you were always powerful but you never used that much power in a year before." Willow tried not to make her words sound accusatory. "I just want to understand."

"I trained." Tara replied softly. "With some witches and warlocks in Italy." The blonde looked down for a moment. "I did a lot of work with them on harnessing and channeling my energy."

"All white magic." Willow checked holding her breath. "Please don't tell me I drove you to the other stuff."

"All magic is benign Will, I know you know that, it's how you use it that changes it." Tara said gently, this time raising her hand to cup Willow's cheek.

"Thank Goddess." Willow moved forward hugging into the blonde's body. "I would never forgive myself if you channeled it to dark."

"I could never do that Willow." Tara cradled the back of her head lightly. "It nearly took everything from me."

"I'm sorry." Willow hugged her tighter. "I let it hurt you."

"No sorries baby." Tara held tighter in return. "The past is done."

"I love you." Willow sniffled slightly.

"I... I was going to tell you about the magic, the training." Tara pulled back and looked at her lover.

"Oh Tara, I didn't think you weren't." Willow looked into blue eyes. "You've only been back a few days, it's been crazy here. It's still crazy here."

"It is." Tara nodded in agreement, "But it'll calm..." She was about to continue when Dawn pushed the door open.

"The girls are getting married." She sung loudly not actually bothering with a key or a tune now. "I made breakfast."

"Dawnie made breakfast." Willow repeated, almost trying to push down the emotion that she knew must be on their faces with the words.

"Wow." Tara subtly slid her hand down and clasped it tighter around Willow's. "Now I feel all super special."

"What are we having?" Willow pushed up a bit, thankful when Tara wiggled over so they could share more of the bed.

"Toast, and toast, oh and juice." Dawn giggled at her nicely presented but sparse offering.

"I would love some toast." Willow grinned at the teenager being infused with her silliness.

"And I would love some juice." Tara smiled.

"So…" Dawn took a big breath and beamed. "Have you thought about bridesmaids?"

"I'm not sure." Willow looked at Tara trying not to laugh. "What do you think Tara?"

"Mmmm I'm really not sure, I think didn't we have a list of things that we needed in a bridesmaid, I think anyone we even consider has to fill all of those." Tara winked back.

"Oh the list." Willow nodded. "Yes, very stringent."

"And very, very long." Tara put in her blue eyes sparkling.

"You two are mean." Dawn laughed.

"Dawn, you know we want you to be in the wedding." Willow laughed with her. "The question is whose side do you want to be on?"

"You do?" Dawn bounced in her place. "Oh, oh." She continued glancing between the two of them. "Hmmm." She frowned Tara laughed softly.

"You don't have to decide now." Tara assured her.

"No, I know, but I want to be on Tara's." She announced bouncing down on the bed and lying over the blonde's legs.

"Didn't take long to ditch me." Willow put on a mock pout.

"No but you'll have Buffy and anyway, I'm taller than you and that won't look right." The teenager pointed out seriously to defend her position.

"Dawn, it's fine." Willow leaned over and rubbed her hand over dark hair. "You'll look great on Tara's side."

"I love you guys." Dawn closed her eyes briefly at the touch and wound both arms around Tara's legs through the duvet.

"We love you too." Willow reached up putting her arm around Tara.

"We're going to beat this aren't we." Dawn snuggled into place.

The redhead looked sideways at Tara and the blonde caught her green glance.

"We're not going to let it win." She said softly holding her lover's eyes.

"Never." Willow looked back at her lovingly.

-x-

Faith looked around at everyone and flicked to the next page of the book she'd been given. If one thing time had dulled it was her memory of just how numbingly boring a Scooby research meeting could be. This one especially as they had nothing to go on at all.

"So we've got nothing and you want us back in the house?" Kennedy pushed her book back and looked at the Slayer.

"Yeah, unless you want to face another Uber there pop and fresh girl." Faith looked up meeting eyes with the potential. She could smell the adrenaline and aggression on her.

"We've faced them before and it didn't stop one of us being murdered right here in this house." Kennedy bit back. "I don't see what has changed, why we should comeback?"

"Because there are two Slayers now." Faith pushed up. "Gonna make this evil shit think twice."

"Yes well." Giles coughed and looked over to Faith. "As glad as I am that you are here Faith, I do understand Kennedy's worry, a potential was killed in the grounds of the house, lured to her death by the First." He unnecessarily recounted the details.

Owl sat uncomfortably on he couch, doing her best to dumb down the feeling of uselessness inside her.

"You see even the watcher doesn't think we should do it." One of the nameless SIT's spoke up.

"Well I do." Anya piped up. "I think it's a great idea, all of you move back out of my apartment."

"Have we tried to shake and bake one of these Bringers for info?" Faith put forward. "See if this First has a flaw."

"It's the First evil, how can evil have a flaw?" A SIT asked from her chair.

"Because everything, everyone, even evil has a flaw." Faith put the law down.

"Even pure evil?" Kennedy challenged.

"If it was pure evil and didn't have a flaw or a fear why the hell hasn't it just done a full scale attack on you all and wiped you out? Why is it using us like sport game? That's its flaw, it's enjoying this, it isn't eye on the prize, it wants to play this game out step by step." Faith summed it up as she saw it.

"Well we could all kill ourselves that would end its game." A glum suggestion came from a chair.

"Okay everyone time out." Buffy pushed up from her place. "Firstly, we are not going to make the First's job any easier by doing its job for him. Secondly, Faith is right, its time we got proactive rather than just taking this shit and thirdly..." She stopped. "Where is Dawn?" She added frowning and looking around.

"She went to the kitchen to get drinks." Willow pointed down the small hallway.

"Oh right." She nodded feeling silly she'd missed that fact.

"Awhile ago." The redhead glanced at the clock. "Dawnie?" She pushed up off the chair she was sharing with Tara. "Dawnie?" She kept moving and pulled open the kitchen door. The sight of the teenager dancing around the kitchen while she made nachos made her heart start beating again. "Are you okay?"

"Uh-huh, sorry?" She plucked a half-eaten sausage roll out of her mouth. "I was making snacks, what's up?"

"We just were talking and missed you." Willow smiled at her. "I'll tell everyone to expect snacks."

"Sorry was I a long time? Did I miss anything important." Dawn frowned and glanced at the clock. "Have you told every your other news?" She ran forward and stopped Willow leaving.

"Not yet." Willow shook her head. "Everyone is really focused on the First."

"Oh goodie I didn't want to have missed it." Dawn released her and clapped. "Should I get champagne?" She glanced at the basement door.

"Dawn, I think maybe we're not going to tell everyone for a bit. Just till we have a First defeat plan." The redhead came into the room away from the door.

"What?" Dawn stopped and frowned. "But, but this will like perk them up. Think of how perky we were with Xander and Anya."

"I know, which is why we told you and Buffy. I don't think the SIT's will care that much." She tried to convince the teenager.

"But Anya and Xander will and Giles. Even Andrew, I mean he's still a bit freaked with her in the room and everything but I think he'd be super happy." The teenager tried to make a case.

"Yes of course, but maybe telling them on their own." Willow helped her put the nachos on a double plate to carry.

"But a party might be what we need, get everyone to calm down a bit." Dawn gave her doe eyes.

"What are you two doing?" Opening the door softly Tara stepped in.

"Dawn was just suggesting some things." Willow turned smiling at the blonde.

"Oh yes, what things?" Tara reached in and stole a nacho.

"About telling everyone, having an engagement party." Willow informed her trying not so sound against the idea, even though she was.

"An... Are you sure?" Tara frowned softly.

"I was just trying to say it might not be the right time." Willow broke in to stop her panicking.

"But it is." Dawn interrupted again. "It's a perfect time. Buffy wants us all back in the house, we can even drink because no one would be going anywhere after wards."

Willow looked at Tara for help, desperately not sure how to let Dawn down easy.

"If there's a suitable opportunity we'll tell them how about that?" Tara offered looking at Willow for support.

"There we go, perfect plan." Willow nodded enthusiastically.

"So cool." Dawn clapped again and skipped through completely forgetting the food she had prepared.

"She's so happy." Willow looked at Tara.

"She is." Tara nodded and held out her hand. "Are you?" She checked softly.

"Tara, I am so happy that happy as a word is woefully inadequate." Willow moved over and slipped her hands onto the blonde's waist. "I just don't know if flaunting that to everyone is a good idea, not with what we are facing and..." She hesitated. "A part of me is afraid that telling the world will make the world want to hurt us."

"Oh baby." Tara kissed Willow softly just as the door behind them opened again, this time revealing Faith.

"Hey, don't mind me there." The dark slayer smiled and moved by to pick up plates.

"We won't." Willow smiled and kissed Tara again lightly.

"You know when B said she wants us all back at ground zero she sure as hell wasn't taking into consideration the pheromones you two will feed us all with." Faith balanced four plates expertly and picked up a beer with her teeth.

"Tara, this is Faith." Willow rolled her eyes lightly. "Last time you only got to meet her spirit, this is the whole package."

Faith put down the plates and wiped her hands on her leathers.

"Worth giving up the stick for Red." She offered Tara her hand, Tara took it and shook it lightly. "All the things she told me about you, they're true." She smiled and was surprised when the blonde didn't look away and smiled back.

"Faith we both know stick is nothing when you have a beautiful woman." Willow gave her a stare.

"Well I don't know, I kinda miss a bit of stick now and again. In prison they don't allow that kind of add on." She winked at the redhead. "Right I think it's time for me to get this food through." She added picking up the plates again.

"Yes, I think so." Willow shook her head at the comment.

"You want me to keep everyone out of here for what, an hour or so?" Faith asked from the door.

"I doubt the meeting will go on long enough for that Faith." Tara replied before drawing Willow closer and kissing her deeply only stopping when she her a soft laugh and the door click shut.

"That was very vixen Tara." Willow was left swaging in pleasure when Tara pulled back.

"How could I resist?" Tara replied beaming.

"You couldn't, she was asking to be shut up." Willow laughed and leaned to kiss her again.

-x-

The nachos that Dawn had made and Faith had delivered didn't go far in filling the empty stomachs of the gathered and so the two witches had volunteered to go back into the kitchen and make more. The procedure had given them some alone time in the crowded house, and as Willow continued shredding cheese she felt Tara's arms slipped from around her waist ending the nice warm hug she'd been getting.

"Mmm so how much cheese do we need?" She checked as she looked at the small pile in the bowl.

"Mmmm, well the last lot got demolished." Tara smiled softly. "So I'm thinking more than that."

"Okay, just call me the magic cheese grater." Willow began shredding with more vigor.

"I'd rather call you the sexy cheese grater." Tara teased.

"Promises, promises." Willow wiggled her butt.

"S-e-x-y- g-r-a-t-e-r." Tara shimmied back over and slid her hand back around Willow's waist pressing against her lightly.

"Mmmm will get distracted if you do that more." The redhead pushed back into her.

"But you're in meeting mode, I know my Willow she doesn't get distracted in meeting mode." Tara slowed the motion a little.

"Oh I can get distracted, remember all the times at the Magic Box." Willow swayed against her.

"Mmmm remember the Talion demon research?" Tara leaned and hooked her head over Willow's shoulder breathing lightly in her ear.

"I still don't think I know what a Talion demon is." Willow giggled and put down the grater slipping her hands over Tara's.

"Mmmm I think it has a long tail or was it horns?" Tara rubbed her fingertips lightly on Willow's tummy.

"Isn't it slimy?" Willow closed her eyes tipping her head back a bit to rest on Tara's.

"I have no idea." Tara admitted she slid her hands further around and loosened the bottom button on Willow's button down shirt so she could draw her fingers around soft warm skin.

"We're bad." Willow groaned as Tara's fingers did another circle on her stomach.

"We're in love." Tara pointed out her subtle division.

"Mmmm we might miss this meeting too." Willow groaned lightly. "Because I want to love you right now."

"Well why don't you get that through to them, then come back to get drinks. I'm just going to slip to the washroom, we could meet back in here in five minutes or you could join me upstairs in the bathroom." Tara swirled in the other direction.

"Perfect." Willow nodded turning to watch her with a sexy smile.

"Which." Tara chuckled as she drew back.

"I'll meet you in the bathroom, we can lock the door." Willow winked at her.

"Oh you always think of the little things." Tara wrinkled her nose in a cheeky smile. "Don't be long."

"Grating like the wind." Willow began to quickly grate the cheese.

Tara blew the redhead a kiss and then hurried around through the dining room and up the stairs.

She was rather surprised when she went into the Summers' bathroom, it had been painted and themed in soft blue with gentle waves on the tiles and shower curtain.

She eyed the large deep pile blue mats with a smile. At least they would give her some thing rather than the cold flooring to lay on.

"Remember to wash your hands baby girl, and actually use the soap to wash them not to play with the bubbles." A soft feminine voice followed Tara into the bathroom very close behind her.

Tara's head shot up instantly recognizing the voice, but seeing nothing in the large mirror over the sink.

"Now now, Tara. I'm right here." The voice sounded again.

"Mommy?" Tara turned around, her hand wrapped tightly in the small flannel beside the sink.

"Baby girl." The blonde woman was older than Tara her shoulder length hair pulled back from her ears and her bangs perfectly curled on her forehead. She wore a simple but flattering flowered dress that went down to simple white sandals.

"You... you can't be here." Tara shook her head.

"You're in Sunnydale Tara, don't many weird things happen here?" She smiled softly.

"Yes, yes they do, b-b-but not this." Tara frowned.

"That's because this time is special, I came to talk to you. You have to leave, you have to get away from here and never come back." Her mother warned.

"What?" Tara frowned more. "But mommy, I... Willow...Mommy you know my heart is here."

"Tara, you left her remember? That was the right choice." She gave her a concerned look. "If you're here in Sunnydale only bad things will happen, you'll watch them all die."

"But Momma bad things happened when I left, people I love were hurt." Tara shook her head. "I can't leave them to face that alone."

"Then you're going to die with them." The older woman shook her head sadly. "What was it your father used to say, die like the dogs in the dirt?"

"Why mention him?" Tara's eyes flicked up. "Momma?" She frowned and took a slight step forward.

"I'm mentioning him because he was right baby girl, you're lifestyle is wrong, it's going to kill you." She frowned more. "There is a way you can stop all of this Tara, keep all of them safe, save the world."

"My l-l-lifestyle, what?" Tara's face screwed up more. "You mean I'm going to help the First? If I stay, I'm going to hurt them?" She asked for clarification.

"You will be if you don't do what I tell you, now I know it will hurt Tara, it will break your heart but you have to do what is right." The woman nodded. "Are you listening?"

Tara dropped down and sat on the edge of the tub nodding obediently.

"That witch, your Willow. You have to bind her magic." Tara's mother moved around standing in front of her a few feet away. "Then you must leave her."

"Bind her?" Tara shook her head. "Mommy I can't do that to Willow, why would I do that to her?"

"So that she can never hurt you again, so that she can't be used by the First." Her mother underlined. "She's dangerous Tara, she's a time bomb."

"But that all happened because I left her." Tara rubbed her hand on her forehead.

"Tara, are you okay?" Buffy questioned suddenly from the bathroom door seeing the small way that Tara was curled up on her perch rubbing her head almost in agony.

"Buffy." Tara's head shot up.

"Are you okay?" The Slayer questioned stepping in tentatively.

"I... my..." Tara blinked. "Mother." She whispered.

"You're... Tara stand up." Buffy held out her hand for her looking around.

Pushing some strength into her trembling legs Tara pushed off the side of the tub, her hand reaching for Buffy's.

"She was there." Tara blinked large blue eyes into the now empty space.

"It wasn't your mother." Buffy said firmly pulling her out of the bathroom concerned.

"You didn't tell her did you Slayer?" The first appeared again, this time as Buffy herself in the hallway. "Interesting technique. Though I have to ask when did I lose you're obedience? When I said you had to leave or you had to bind her?" The Buffy copy looked at Tara.

"You're…" She breathed. "You're the First."

"Can't slip anything by you can I witch." The second Buffy laughed.

"Get out." Buffy warned her in a firm voice.

"Or what?" The First challenged her. "I know your little secret, do you think I care if she's in Florence or Sunnydale? You're all going to die."

"Get out." Tara added her demand to Buffy's.

"Fine, fine, and here I was going to ask if I could have nachos too." The First shrugged and blinked out of existence.

"Are you okay? Did it hurt you?" Buffy turned to Tara.

"No, no it didn't." Tara shook her head and rubbed her arm with her hand. "I just feel." She shivered. "My skin is crawling."

"One way you can know it's the First." Buffy nodded. "What did it say?"

"It told me to leave, to bind Willow and leave." Tara shivered again.

"It wants you out of Sunnydale." The Slayer tried to get her mind thinking. "It wants you to bind Willow's magic?"

"Which means we can hurt it." Tara nodded. "Or we can do something to it."

"Yes." She nodded. "What we need to find out is what."

"I think... I think I need a drink." Tara admitted weakly.

"Come on lets go tell Giles about this." Buffy urged her to come down the hallway.

"Why don't you have this place shielded?" Tara found her feet moving as she asked the question.

"I would answer that question if I had a clue what you were asking me." Buffy admitted stopping her. "We can shield it out?"

"Yes, if it's an entity, a non-corporeal being." Tara nodded. "We can but a barrier spell up around the house."

"What do you need to do that? We didn't know you could." Buffy almost jumped on her excited for something that they could use.

"We would start with a low level one and build up if it doesn't work." Tara went on. "Well it takes maintenance that is probably why Willow didn't suggest it."

"Maintenance she can't do?" Buffy questioned her voice lower.

"No maintenance in that." She took a breath and look at Buffy. "A person." She explained badly.

"I don't understand." Buffy looked at her confused.

"It's a channeling spell." Tara explained. "It requires energy like a battery." She tried to explain.

"You need a non witchy person to channel it constantly?" Buffy caught on a little.

"Yes, a battery." She nodded. "It's doesn't do them any harm, just makes you kind a tired, oh and means you can't do anything else at the same time."

"Andrew." Buffy said without a thought. "Can you use him for it? He doesn't serve any other purpose."

"If you're sure you can spare him." Tara nodded.

"Oh trust me we can spare him." The Slayer nodded.

"Then I'd need a room to centralize the shield, as near to the middle of the house as we can." Tara continued to give details.

"The hall?" Buffy tried to think what would fit the criteria.

"If we can make Andrew comfortable there." Tara nodded. "He wouldn't have to do it all the time, I mean I could take rotational turns with him."

"Tara, I don't care if he's comfortable. All I want is a way to keep that damn First out of this house." Buffy pointed out firmly.

"Okay so that was me being selfish about wanting to be comfortable on my shifts."

Tara gave a gentle smile.

"Would the living room be good then? If we move a couch over to the middle wall?" Buffy smiled back seeing what she meant now.

"Perfect." Tara nodded. "I have to get some things from the apartment." She took the stairs carefully.

"Everyone's coming back here, if you can get a block up I want everyone behind it." Buffy assured her feeling like they finally had been given some sort of break.

-x-


	10. Chapter 10

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Ten.**

Buffy wasn't aware that her quick three steps turn three steps turn pattern back and forth through her bedroom would even garner Owl's attention let alone disturb her. Giles' had managed to convince the SIT to get back to resting and letting her ribs heal after their meeting and she was propped up on the bed now researching to pass the 'boring' time as she called it. The Slayer instead was impatiently waiting for Tara to finish working out what she needed for the barrier spell with Willow so that they could go shopping for ingredients.

"Buffy, please, what's wrong." Owl closed the book she was reading. "With the super witches being all magic downstairs, don't you even get five minutes non pacing?

"I'm trying to work things out." Buffy admitted still on the move. "Figure out why the First would want them gone, why she'd want Willow bound? How she found out Tara is back?" She looked at the SIT. "Now I'm even calling her a she, she's an it, an it."

"Well I'm thinking that the Uber that tried to wipe out Willow must have had some kind of feedback loop thing wouldn't it?" Owl offered her own explanation.

"Great, big bad had telepathic connections." Buffy moved over and plopped down on the bed obviously pissed off by the idea.

"Sorry for suggesting it." Owl frowned opening her book again.

"Oh and don't get any big kick ass ideas from Faith, understand? You've got enough gun ho in you without her filling you full of her live wild, die young thing." Buffy turned pointing a finger.

"I was going to ask about her." Owl admitted pausing from reading. "Well more about you and her."

"Old enemies, I put her in a coma." Buffy related but found the words didn't bring her any satisfaction. "She got lost to the dark side, killed some innocent people. It was a bad time."

"But you guys are on the same side, I mean, I heard that stuff about her past but you know she's here and she wouldn't be here if she didn't want to do the right thing, right?" Owl explained her viewpoint.

"No, you're right. Faith wouldn't be here if she didn't think it would one hell of a fight and she wanted a piece of it. She'll help us defeat the First." Buffy nodded. "Its just there's no excuse for what she did but now I'm not sure how much better than her I am."

"Buffy you slept with a vampire who tried to rape you, how does that make you bad?" Owl frowned and put her book down again.

"Because I am." The Slayer didn't really come back with that much strength. "I used to think she was a slut." She admitted. "Okay I still think that but how can I?"

"Okay now wait." Owl shuffled a little in her place. "Including Spike how many people and vampires have you slept with?"

"Four." Buffy played with the cuff on her silky grey shirt.

"Okay now I could be wrong but Faith looks like the kind of girl who had that many in a week." Owl didn't pull a punch.

"She claimed that in one night once." Buffy turned to her.

"So how are you anything like a slut?" Owl countered.

"You know why, because I feel empty inside. How can I not be if slept with Spike just to feel something?" She blinked at the SIT.

"That makes you lonely, sad, maybe even desperate, it doesn't make you a slut."

Owl pointed out the very enormous difference.

"I think slut might sound better than desperate at this point." Buffy laughed sadly at herself.

"Most people are desperate for something Buffy." Owl shook her head slightly.

"I don't know what I'm desperate for." Buffy looked back fidgeting with her sleeve.

"Well whenever you're in the same room with Faith for more than ten minutes I'd wager desperate for a fight." Owl smirked.

"She just..." Buffy gripped her fists. "GRMMMM... she just gets on my one nerve and I want to smack her in the head."

"Or kiss her." Owl pointed out.

"WHAT?" Buffy turned to her horrified. "Are you feeling okay? I so do not want to kiss Faith."

"Buffy come on." Owl chuckled laughing at the display. "The sexual tension between you is like palpable."

"No, it isn't because there isn't any sexual tension." Buffy shook her head standing up aghast. "Maybe okay just maybe a very long time ago before she became Miss. American Psycho I had slightly confusing thoughts about her but not now, nope completely clear."

"Slightly confusing thoughts?" Owl raised an eyebrow. "Buffy she's hot, there's no getting around it and you were how old? Late teens, we're talking sexual tension level ten."

"Ewww I don't believe we are even discussing this." Buffy moved around sitting on Owl's side of the bed. "The last person on earth I would kiss is Faith. I would never be a notch on her very notchy bedpost."

"Okay." Owl looked at the blonde Slayer and smiled.

"Wait, is this because of last night?" Buffy questioned checking Owl's face.

"What?" Owl frowned more than a little confused.

"Because of what happened, now Faith is here and you're thinking you see all this huge tension. I am so not Faith, I'm not a notch on the bedpost girl." Buffy tried to assure her.

"Buffy I know that." Owl assured her back. "Me either." She underlined softly.

"So we're okay?" The blonde checked her own voice soft, not that if she was honest she was quite sure what she was checking on.

"What are you asking Buffy?" Owl frowned again. "Of course we're okay, you're the Slayer, I'm a SIT, I know my place, we're good."

"Great, and please remember your place is in bed healing." Buffy pushed up to stand smoothing out her shirt. "I'm going to go see about magic shopping."

"Like I can forget that." Owl leaned into the pillows wincing at the pain in her side.

-x-

"So her ribs are healing, I'm sure it was some sorta First thing with the car veering, you know, way too convenient." Buffy felt herself babbling a little as they walked down the dark alleyway. "Are you sure that there is a shop down here?"

"Positive." Tara nodded. "It's n-n-not like the magic shop though." She pointed out.

"Well I think everyone is starting to head out of town slowly, it's unlikely anyone reputable or who can go out during the day is left." Buffy admitted as she sidestepped some garbage that had spilled out of an overturned dumpster.

"Bad news travels fast." Tara glanced at her sadly.

"Let's just get what you need, any extra's you think that'll come in handy and get you home to Willow okay?" Buffy stopped in front of a dark door that had a long reddish stain on it. "I'm assuming creepy door number one?"

"Yes, you'd better stay out here." Tara pointed out putting her hand up to the rusted handle.

"Um no." Buffy put her hand out. "I'm not letting you go into creepy door by yourself." She shook her head.

"Buffy please." Tara glanced at her. "This really isn't your average Sunnydale high street store."

"Tara, that's exactly my point." Buffy's voice was firm.

The blonde witch raised her hand and gave a series of three short knocks on the stained wood.

"Enter witch, leave the half breed human outside" A gravely voice called through when a small peephole opened.

"I'm sorry Buffy." Tara glanced at the Slayer. "I really have to do this alone." She glanced back at the door and said something to the person behind it in Italian.

"Okay so I'm right there." Buffy pointed to the wall on the other side a few feet away. "You need me you yell." She admitted defeated.

"Really Buffy, I'll be fine." Tara assured her.

"Just get this done." Buffy leaned against the brickwork looking agitated.

Tara turned back with a small breath, pushing open the ajar door to reveal a dark shadowed hall beyond.

"If I'm longer than fifteen minutes then you can worry." Tara smiled as she eased into the inky blackness.

"How is Marveni?" The gravely voice questioned as Tara emerged into a dimly lit room filled with rows of dusty shelves.

"Well, very well, you are sent blessings." Tara offered in a friendly tone.

"I shouldn't keep you with pleasantries you're half breed is agitated." A hooded figure stepped out from amongst the selves. "If she's not careful she will get the death she think she deserves."

"As we all will if she is not served and supported as she should be." Tara nodded not rising to the verbal attack.

"How might I serve?" The hood was pulled back to reveal a withered gnarled woman's face.

"I prepared a list." Tara slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled it out offering it to the other woman.

"As always efficient." The aged face managed a slight smiled before it looked over it. "You have big plans."

"There are big times ahead." Tara nodded watching as the other witch collected a basket from an overcrowded desk and began to fill it with ingredients. "Marveni asked me to make a plea to you to leave this place."

"Her pleas are heard." The hag nodded. "But you needed assistance, if I may add a few things you might need when I leave this place."

"She told me of your gift to see that which is to come." Tara glanced down. "And of your wisdom and courage."

"I wish this I could see young one, but there is much undetermined." She handed Tara the first basket and started on another. "Do not doubt you have a chance." She whispered passing by behind Tara in another lane.

"I shall try not to." Tara nodded. "Wistarnia." She turned and looked at the figure almost reverently whispering her name.

"Yes?" She stooped and looked and Tara.

"If I could ask you for one other thing." She swallowed and lifted her eyes.

"Anything I can offer." The hag walked closer to her handing her the heavy second basket.

"Could you fashion a pair of restrainers." Tara whispered.

"Ah little one." The hag shook her head sadly and moved back to her desk picking up a small black box. "You do not trust enough in your heart." She moved back holding it out. "If you do not trust you will not prevail."

"I try and trust." Tara whispered. "But, I have proof that both my heart and the love of my heart have their weaknesses."

"Then with my blessings I have made you these." She nodded to the box she held out.

"You knew I would ask?" Tara reached out a slightly shaking hand.

"Be warned, you are not weak and if you use them or use them on your love, they will burn into place, it is the only way they will work." The hag nodded to her knowledge. "And they will never move again."

"I can't let her be taken." Tara whispered.

"I cannot tell you what you or she will do, but I beg you heed my warning." She urged her to take the box.

-x-

Tara had tucked the small box into the inside pocket of her jacket and man handled the two baskets down the dark narrow hallway to the large heavy door that lead outside. Putting the baskets down she pulled it open.

"Twelve minutes I was starting to worry." Buffy moved forward to help her.

"Sorry, we got chatting." Tara apologized and happily handed over one of the baskets.

"Did you get everything you needed?" Buffy questioned taking the heavy basket without noticing the weight.

"Yes." Tara nodded as they began their walk. "I'm taking it that was nice and quiet out here."

"Very quite, too quiet." Buffy nodded. "It went okay yeah?" She checked again.

"Yes, she was." Tara paused. "Insightful."

"Any hints on how to beat the First?" Buffy questioned knowing more than likely there would be no easy answer.

"Insightful, not the answer to all our problems." Tara gave the Slayer a soft, very Tara smile.

"Sorry unfair question." Buffy nodded. "So anywhere else we need to shop?"

"You want a coffee?" Tara glanced at the closed Expresso bar. "Or not." She added with a sigh. "Looks like we really are living in a ghost town."

"Yeah, a mass exodus has occurred." Buffy looked over at the deserted buildings. "We could go in and make our own, I don't think anyone would mind if we clean up."

"Or would you rather get back to the house, I know that you don't exactly." She took a breath trying to weight out her words. "Trust Faith."

"No it's okay, she's not the only one there. Willow and Giles will keep everyone in line and Owl has a good head on her shoulders. She'll point out they're being stupid." Buffy explained moving over to yank the door and found it was actually not locked.

"Apart from the fact that she's confined to bed or have you relaxed that rule in the last hour?" Tara arched an eyebrow.

"Oh course not, her ribs need to heal." Buffy moved in flicking on the lights and moving back towards the counter.

"Is she settling in?" Tara asked as she put her basket down.

"Seems to be." Buffy shrugged pouring water into one of the pots and with a quick inspection clicked on the coffee maker after filling it with freshly opened coffee grounds. "She's been through a lot."

"From what I gather all of them have." Tara appraised sadly.

"The First murdered her lover, who was her Watcher." Buffy filled in quietly. "Shanti." She gave the name softly.

"Oh." Tara's head dropped. "Now I feel a little like a dork."

"Don't, Giles was the one who really put his British sized twelve in his mouth."

Buffy reassured her and was glad to see the other blonde smile a little.

"He's still not very…" She thought of the scene at the Watcher's house when Willow had announced they were going out. "Up to date is he." She smiled more.

"Well I think he's move into the twentieth century, two bad we're in the twenty first." The Slayer laughed.

"And how are you now?" Tara asked setting out cups.

"How am I?" Buffy looked at her not sure where the question had come from. "In need of a good cup of coffee." She sniffed as the hot water started to strain down filling the room with a more familiar smell.

"I talked a little to Willow, about last year, about after I'd gone." Tara glanced over at the blonde.

"Oh that." Buffy turned to the fridge. "I think this is still good, do you want milk or cream?" She looked at the labels.

"Neither thank you." Tara shook her head.

"Tara, whatever Willow told you about its over and done." Buffy turned back with a small container of milk.

"Spike." Tara replied giving the Slayer her best sympathetic look.

"Over." Buffy couldn't contain the small shiver that went through her back. "So last year."

"That's good." Tara nodded. "Willow hinted that, that he hurt you." She explained her judgement. "And how are you feeling, inside and I don't mean about the First and all that's going on."

"He did." Buffy looked away moving to find spoons and cups.

"I wish I had been here for you, the real me that is." Tara whispered softly.

"Tara, you couldn't have stopped what he did, I barely did." The Slayer tried to explain. "It's not your fault, trust me I would rather have you here now then here then."

"Thank you." Tara said softly and honestly. "You haven't answered my how are you now question."

"I'm focused on killing the First." Buffy answered honestly. "There's not room for anything else."

"There has to be Buffy." Tara found herself frowning. "You have to have something."

"There can't be, we've got a bus load of new SIT's due in. The First is threatening you and Willow directly. I have to make this all stop, that's the only thing I can focus on." Buffy disagreed firmly.

"But you're not in it alone." Tara pointed out. "We're with you, beside you, I'm sure that you could find security and comfort within that."

"I do." Buffy looked at her and nodded slightly. "It's just we both know when it comes to the shove Tara I'm going to have to make the hard decisions."

"Why?" Tara challenged softly.

"Because I'm the Slayer, I'm the one everyone looks to. I'm the one who has to decide." Buffy rinsed out their cups.

"Faith is a Slayer." Tara challenged the line Buffy had drawn.

"Yes but we both know she can't organize anything other than a kegger." Buffy challenged back.

"How do we?" Tara shook her head. "She's older, wiser and smarter than she used to be Buffy. Prison has to have taught her things."

"Apparently how to give better oral sex." Buffy huffed putting sugar into both their coffees and t comment made the tips of Tara's cheeks tinged pink.

"You'd better keep her away from Owl then." She said with a rare cheeky smile.

"Why?" Buffy's head came up quickly.

"Well I..." Tara blushed harder. "I just meant you know Faith being a Slayer, Owl being a potential, them both enjoying girl on g..." She stopped far too embarrassed to continue.

"Piper would not sleep with Faith." Buffy stirred the coffee with a stronger force.

"Piper?" Tara looked at Buffy watching the motion of her spoon.

"Owl, her real name is Piper." Buffy explained stopping and moving the cup and saucer forward for Tara.

"Oh I see." Tara leaned back a little nursing her coffee. "Pretty." She assessed the soft name.

"And she wouldn't sleep with Faith.' Buffy underlined again sipping her coffee.

"You seem very sure of that." Tara noted.

"Well I don't know for sure, she just seems to have higher tastes than Faith.'

Buffy shook her head.

"The two of them seem oddly similar in some ways." Tara noted blowing over the top of her hot drink.

"In what ways?" Buffy moved around with her coffee sitting on the stool next to Tara.

"Confidence, enthusiasm, leather." Tara smiled.

"But wouldn't I fit into the same category?" Buffy looked down at her pants.

"You don't have the same kind of…" Tara paused. "For want of a better word, butch streak."

"Well I'm not sure I want to be a butch so I'll take that as a good thing."

Buffy smiled lightly.

"It's nice to have a mix of both." Tara laughed softly. "So you and Piper, have you…" She took a sip of coffee. "Talked much?"

"Some." Buffy nodded drinking her slowly.

"Some as in more than the other SITS." Tara pushed a little.

"A lot more." Buffy admitted. "She's mobile and has been in her fair share of fights. She's more like a mini Slayer than an SIT."

"And she's not afraid of you." Tara nodded.

"No." The Slayer shook her head.

"Which has to help right?" Tara pushed more.

"It's nice that someone sees that I'm not some scary mythical creature." Buffy reached to top up her coffee then topped up Tara's.

"Thank you." Tara nodded in appreciation. "Buffy I have to ask you something." She glanced down.

"What?" Buffy saw her demeanour retract slightly.

"You and Owl... Piper, are ... is there..." Tara shook her head. "Oh ignore me, I think I am back, engaged and endorphin happy."

"Wait, are you asking me if there is something going on between Piper and me?" Buffy's eyes went wide.

"Sorry I... I had no right." Tara shook her head.

"No, no. Why would you ask me that?" The Slayer waited impatiently for an answer.

"Just there's something about you two, the way she looks at you, the way you focus on her during a conversation." Tara offered the brief reasoning.

"I focus?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, you look at her, just quickly trying to find out her reaction to suggestions before gaining other peoples." Tara nodded. "Almost like I am sure I used to with Willow, only not so intense."

"She's got a level head." Buffy tried to explain.

"She has, and she's very..." Tara paused not sure what word to use. "Attractive."

"Who wouldn't be when they're tall, have great hair and the face of a super model?' Buffy shrugged off the appraisal as she drank her coffee and was surprised when Tara snorted into her cup. "What?" Buffy looked at her concerned after the noise.

"Oh nothing, it's just you sounded like Willow describing someone she's trying not to stare at." Tara explained with a shrug.

"But Willow has that whole girl loving appreciation thing." Buffy countered with a light laugh. "Though I haven't seen her eyes go off you since you've come back."

"Oh no they have, once to check out Owl, and once to check out Faith." Tara laughed gently.

"Only to confirm she thinks you are the sexist woman on earth." Buffy smiled.

"Anyway Buffy what I was pointing out was that wasn't a very heterosexual description of another woman." The blonde witch tried to draw back to her original conversation and not get sidetracked by talk of Willow.

"Wasn't it?" Buffy questioned softly.

"Tall, great hair and the face of a super model?" Tara repeated the evaluation. "Wouldn't the usual be 'God I hate it, her hair is too perfect, and why was anyone born looking that pretty?'."

"Okay, so she kissed me." Buffy suddenly blurted out chugging her coffee. "Do you want something flavoured?" She pushed up moving around the counter.

"She kissed you?" Tara's blue eyes shot up from examining the contents of her coffee cup as she repeated the words in a whisper. "When?"

"Last night." Buffy began fidgeting with the coffee blend canisters.

"Oh, and you didn't want her to?" Tara pushed.

"I kissed her back." Buffy admitted her voice almost transparent.

"Oh." Tara nodded trying not to let her reaction go to any extreme when she saw Buffy's concern. "Why?" She asked gently.

"I don't know." Buffy shook her head sadly. "She just... She just knows how to get in my head."

"And you find her attractive." Tara made the gentle clarification.

"Yes, yes okay I find her attractive." Buffy answered her voice agitated. "But before you ask me I have no idea what that means."

"It's not a trick question Buffy and as for what it means, it means just that you find her attractive, its no different that looking at a boy and thinking, mmm yes I'd like to find out how he can move me." Tara replied gently.

"It's confusing because of Spike." The Slayer breathed out putting on a second pot of coffee.

"You love Spike?" Tara was shocked an emotion that clearly showed itself on her face.

"No! No." Buffy looked up shaking her head firmly. "He..." She looked down again.

"He wants Piper?" Tara remained completely confused.

"He tried... before he got his soul... he tried too..." The Slayer looked up her words broken as she tried to get them out. "Force me." She managed the words looking into blue eyes long enough to manage the two words before she turned to the sink.

"Oh Buffy." Tara frowned even more. "I... I didn't know." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. Goddess that's a stupid thing to say." She brushed her hair back behind her ear.

"It's fine, there's no way you would. Willow doesn't know." Buffy assured her turning on the water to wash out her cup. "Willow... you can't tell her." She turned back shaking her head as the fact dawned on her.

"I won't." Tara quickly shook her head.

"It wasn't important anyway, I'm the Slayer." Buffy moved to watch the coffee drip out of the other machine.

"Buffy please, not with me." Tara shook her head. "You know I don't think in terms of labels or titles. What happened with Spike does it make you afraid of Piper?"

"Oh Piper?" Buffy shook her head. "She'd never do that, to anyone." She answered confidently. "It makes me more worried I'm going to hurt her, use her."

"Like you used Spike?" Tara offered understanding.

"Yes." Buffy whispered ashamed.

"Does Piper know what happened with Spike, all of it?" She checked and she couldn't say she was surprised when Buffy nodded. If the Slayer felt that Piper was able to get into her head then Tara was sure that Spike would have been one of the first things to shake out into the open. "Then I think that she understands you fears doesn't she?"

"Her lover was just murdered I'm not sure she knows up from down right now." The Slayer admitted.

"Which puts her in a vulnerable place Buffy but not necessarily one that needs isolation. People need different things in life." She continued. "I'm not sure Piper strikes me as someone who lists personal detachment as one of those things."

"I'm confused and this is not the time to be confused." Buffy shook her head.

"Have you talked to her about this?" Tara asked hoping that she had.

"She knows." Buffy began looking in the cupboards for cookies or something.

"She knows what?" Tara checked.

"That I'm confused." Buffy looked at her.

"Oh right." Tara nodded.

"I don't even know if she thinks I'm attractive or if she's just trying to shore me up to get the First killed." Buffy shrugged.

"You think her kissing you was just a way to get you to focus?" Tara shook her head even as she asked the question.

"No… maybe... I don't know why she did it other than she wanted me to feel alive." Buffy pulled out a box of cookies.

"Ohhh." Tara made a longer sound of contemplation.

"What does 'Ohhh' mean?" Buffy studied her.

"Ohhh means." Tara shifted a little. "I think you can guarantee that she thinks you're attractive."

"How can I guarantee that?" Buffy moved to lean on the counter.

"Depends what you want." Tara replied honestly. "I could be wrong Buffy and I mean completely wrong because I'm not, I'm not like this, but a lot of people don't have an issue or a second thought about meeting someone thinking 'wow' and then enjoying each other." She phrased cautiously.

"I tried that with Spike Tara, look where it got me." Buffy condemned herself.

"I said enjoying each other Buffy, not hurting each other." Tara clarified.

"I'm not sure what that is anymore." The Slayer shook her head finally pouring out the new batch of coffee.

"Then perhaps you should take her up on her all be it subtle offer." Tara suggested.

"You mean be gay?" Buffy looked at her unconvinced.

"No Buffy, I mean live." Tara shook her head and clarified softly. She just knew the Slayer was the one who would have an enormous problem with labeling herself that.

"We'll see." Buffy answered not committed to the idea. "We should take these to go, it's starting to get dark."

"You're right." Tara looked out at the darkening sky. "Buffy, what ever you decide, all you need to remember is to check yourself. Check and ask am I hurting, is Piper hurting, and does it feel good?"

"Thanks, I really appreciate you talking to me about this." Buffy put the lids on cups though her voice was a little stiff.

"Apparently one thing the First got right was my shades ability to listen." Tara sighed at how sadly ironic it was.

"I'm sorry." Buffy frowned slightly. "That we didn't know."

"How could you?" Tara shook her head and picked up the basket.

"I should have known." Buffy handed Tara her coffee.

"Buffy no, if you'd have known then the First would just have found another way." Tara took it. "Another way to hurt you."

"It didn't win though." Buffy smiled at her. "You're alive."

"Alive and very annoyed." Tara nodded smiling.

"The First is so in trouble now." Buffy laughed picking up the basket by her stool. "One pissed off Tara Maclay is something it didn't count on."

"Let's get these back to the house." Tara smiled and then reached out and put her hand on Buffy's hand. "It's good to be home." She whispered.

The Slayer squeezed her hand and smiled back.

-x-

Buffy led in everyone from the beleaguered group, watching as on automatic they went to tend to each other's injuries and relive their patrol experience. They'd bagged three vamps and had to fend off a half dozen Bringers but at least no one was lost this time. She tried to comfort herself with that fact.

"Andrew don't even start." She walked past the young man who was sitting pouting on the couch. It was obvious that Tara and Willow had completed the house shield.

"But my cheeks are numb." The young man whined.

"You can move Andrew just not off the couch other than the bathroom." She rolled her eyes. "They didn't tell you that you had to stay in one position."

"In fact you were told that moving was fine as long as you didn't spend more than thirty minutes out of the contact zone." Tara clarified as she brought in a tall glass filled with blue drink and ice she handed it to Andrew.

"Everything okay?" Buffy checked with Tara.

"The battery is being a pain." Anya stalked through staring at him as she thumped down a freshly toasted bagel.

"Other than that?" Buffy clarified her question.

"Everything's fine Buffy." Giles nodded coming in from the dinging room.

"I'm going to grab a shower then before the potentials make me line up." She moved to the stairs. She was very relieved when no one interrupted her and she pressed upstairs heading to her room. "It's late you should be asleep." She commented softly when she saw that Owl wasn't.

"I was waiting up." Owl explained simply.

"Everyone's fine, three vamps and a six Bringers less in the world." Buffy filled in for her.

"Spike's in the basement." Owl's eyes flicked up and looked at Buffy.

"I was going to take a shower, I got graveyard smell." Buffy nodded that she had figured that. "Do you need anything?"

"Maybe to move out." Owl frowned but then shook her head. "No, go have your shower."

"Move out?" Buffy went over to the bed. "Why?"

"He's been up here three times Buffy." Owl growled slightly. "Dropping off your laundry, bringing up pills in case you need them in the night if you get hurt in patrol."

"If he comes up again I'll tell him to stop bothering you. This is your room now." Buffy spelled out.

"No it's not, it's your room." The SIT replied. "The third visit was to remind me of that, he's set a cot up for me in the basement for when I'm feeling better."

"Owl, Spike doesn't make my decisions for me." Buffy shook her head. "You're here. There's not room for anyone else in the basement and I want you up here."

She added in a softer tone.

"Go grab your shower, I shouldn't have mentioned it." Piper's voice was quiet.

"Do you want to go to the basement?" Buffy asked her becoming confused by the conversation.

"How could I get to kiss you again if I did that?" Owl replied quickly looking up into the Slayer's eyes.

"You want that?" Buffy felt her body instantly go flush and her heart race a little.

"Only if and when you do." Owl leaned back into her pillows.

Again Buffy surprised herself when she pushed forward and a little more forcefully then she intended to kissed the potential. Kissing her back for a long moment Owl pulled back and ran her hand over Buffy's hair.

"Easy, I'm right here." She whispered kissing her again this time a little gentler.

"I'm sorry." Buffy breathed in between meetings of their lips.

"Don't be sorry." Piper shook her head while kissing the blonde's lips over and over softly getting her to relax. Buffy kissed her back each time. "I was worried you were avoiding me." She pulled back further for a moment and held her hand on Buffy's cheek."

"I wasn't, there was just stuff to do." Buffy tried to make her understand. "Willow and Tara have erected a shield so the First can't come in the house anymore. We had to get ingredients and then there was patrol with some of the others."

"Wow, one for the mega witches." Owl smiled and stroked the skin behind the Slayer's ear over and over with the fingertip.

"How are your ribs?" Buffy checked her voice low as her eyes dipped closed from the touch.

"Better, only hurts in certain places now." Owl replied swirling her fingertip in a smooth circle

"Good." Buffy felt her eyes dip more closed.

"How does that feel?" Piper asked softly letting her fingers play lightly in a more erratic movement.

"Mmmm makes me realize what a long day it's been because I can feel so much tension relaxing." The Slayer admitted.

"Lay down." Owl shifted the books on the bed bedside her off and dropped them down to the floor. Obediently Buffy slid down onto the bed on her side facing the potential. "On your stomach." Piper instructed gently.

"Why?" Buffy questioned but she moved as she was asked.

"Then I can do both at once." Owl shifted with minimum wincing.

"Do both?" Buffy put her hands up under her head turning her head to look at the potential.

Piper stretched her fingers and leaned over the Slayer slightly drawing two fingertips up and around the back of both of Buffy's ears.

"Ohhhhh." Buffy let out a long sigh at the relaxing motion as she put her head in a more central position.

"There you go." Piper smiled. "That's the noise I wanted."

"Mmmm you're good at that." Buffy admitted her eyes closing as her shoulder's relaxed.

"I should be, I got enough practice." Owl replied as she followed the muscles around down the Slayer's neck.

"Mmmm good luck for me." Buffy breathed out again deeply.

"Good for any of the house who've got muscle aches and pains wouldn't you say?" Piper went back up to caressing behind Buffy's ears.

"Mmmm who said I'm sharing." Buffy whispered relaxing more into the bed.

"Your personal masseur huh." Owl slid her whole hands down to Buffy's shoulders lightly drawing them over her shirt.

"Maybe." Buffy groaned as she felt strong hands on her knotted shoulders.

"Go have a shower Buffy." Owl pulled away.

"What?" The Slayer's eyes popped open and she pushed up confused before it settled down to understanding. "Yes, right..." She locked her jaw and swung off the bed.

"You'll only need your towel on when you come back." Piper smiled gently.

"I won't be too long." Buffy stopped turning back before her face relaxed a bit.

"Good." Owl nodded softly.

-x-

Spike made his way up the stairs to the main level and pushed down the hall, he stalled at the front door and then turned up the main stairs.

"You got a problem Spike?" Tara asked from her place on the couch.

"Just wanted to talk to the Slayer." He looked at her. "None of your concern."

"She's having a shower, I think she's tired." Tara challenged.

"It'll only take a minute." He turned to go up the stairs.

"Spike, leave her." Tara's voice went icy.

"Or what witchy?" Spike turned glaring at her.

"Go back down into the basement or better yet go out and do a quick tour of the grounds and the block." Tara suggested the alternative.

"I meant more what are you doing to do when I don't jump at your little instruction?" Spike came down a few steps to the doorway where he faced off with her.

"Well that depends on what you want me to do Spike?" The blonde challenged didn't waiver.

"I want you to mind your own business." He winked at her and turned back to the stairs.

"Transa farata." Tara whispered waving her hand and the vampire disappeared to reappear outside the front window.

"Nice trick witch." He banged on the window with his fist. He moved around and tried the front door only to find he couldn't open it. "Fine have it your way for now, we'll see how she likes you abusing our powers." He stomped down the front walk.

"Tara, is everything okay?" Willow came out of the kitchen carrying some popcorn.

*I know what you did Spike.* Tara spoke into his mind as he stepped away.

"I love her." He turned with the unlit smoke in his mouth.

*If you try and rape someone you love, I don't want to know what you do to someone you dislike.* Tara blinked not meaning to ignore Willow as the vampire turned on his heel and stalking off.

"Baby are you okay?" Willow sat down beside her.

"S-S-Sorry." Tara blinked and looked at the redhead.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked again. "I heard a bang and you seemed distracted." She looked to where Andrew was curled up sucking his thumb. "Is he bothering you?"

"No, it was... I had a moment with Spike." She replied. "I had to... I transported him outside."

"Spike?" Willow looked out the dark window. "Did he threaten you?"

"He was just being pushy about disturbing Buffy's rest." Tara shook her head.

"I don't know why he can't just let it go and leave her alone." Willow snuggled in next to her.

"Maybe if we underline it enough for him, he'll understand." Tara, oddly for her, suggested direct intervention.

"She doesn't need anything distracting her." Willow nodded.

"Not something trivial like Spike." Tara said almost caustically.

"You don't like him do you?" Willow turned questioning her. "Not even with his new soul?"

"I'll try harder with him." She dropped her head a little.

"I don't like him either, he's creepy with the soul." Willow admitted softly.

"I just don't like how he treats Buffy." Tara clarified her reasons a little, but knew she couldn't tell Willow the complete one.

"If Buffy wasn't the Slayer I'd worry about her more, but she can kick his butt if she needs too." Willow underlined faithfully.

"But she shouldn't have to say no or leave me alone." Tara frowned unevenly.

"Oh of course not, if she doesn't want him harassing her then he should stop."

Willow agreed. "What do you think we can do to convince him?"

"Just whenever we can just put him carefully in place, okay?" Tara offered.

"If anyone can help it's me and you working together." Willow leaned up and kissed her.

"Yes." Tara leaned in for her kiss. Willow kissed her harder, hoping for a moment everyone would stay out of the living room. "Mmmm do you want to take this up to our room?" Tara purred softly.

"Mmm please." Willow smiled excitedly.

"You sure?" Tara eased back a little.

"Oh yes, very sure." Willow nodded. "It's been hours since we..." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Seven hours thirteen minutes." Tara winked.

"Way too long." Willow grabbed her hand and helped pull her up off the couch.

"I think he's asleep yes?" Tara checked glancing at Andrew as she stopped on the stairs.

"He's very asleep." Willow nodded seeing him sucking his thumb harder.

"I hope Dawn's room has thick walls." Tara gave a sloping smirk.

"Mmmm we'll have to see." Willow grinned as they raced upstairs.

-x-

Buffy slowly pushed out of the steamy bathroom securing the knotted towel around her body as she did. After all there were supposed to have one other potential on the floor in her with them and she wasn't sure if she'd come up yet.

"Hey there." Owl greeted softly as the door opened, revealing a low-lit room heavy with the smell of incense and warm from the myriad of candles that burnt on the windowsill.

"Hi." Buffy smiled softly when she saw the relaxing atmosphere.

"Come lay down." Piper was stood at the side of the bed, the bedclothes tied in a knotted pile on the floor beside the window.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Buffy questioned even as her feet moved her over and she lay on the bed.

"I can give massages in my sleep." Owl nodded coming happily up along side the Slayer and resting her butt lightly on the edge of the bed. She gently gathered wet blonde hair out of the way. Buffy relaxed against the mattress. "So now you need to close your eyes and relax." Piper smoothed her hands over soft still damp shoulders.

"Yes ma'am." Buffy teased as she did just that.

"How was patrol?" Piper asked as she lightly pressed her hands over lines of muscles testing their tension.

"Quiet, the town is almost deserted." The Slayer's voice was warmer as she relaxed.

"But the Bringers still managed to make it a party eh?" Owl said as she actually put a little pressure into her movements.

"They just keep coming." Buffy groaned both as a knot release in her shoulder and the frustration of the Bringers.

"Yeah but you'll beat this thing, we'll beat this thing and then you won't have to face another one." Owl worked carefully on the muscle.

"That I will enjoy." Buffy nodded letting out a slow breath.

"You and me both." Owl agreed.

"There is nothing I want more than to just be able to lay back and relax without any big bads or worries." Buffy shifted a bit, the towel loosening around her.

"I bet." Owl nodded using the new looseness to move further down the Slayer's back. "So can I come out with you tomorrow?"

"If you're well enough." Buffy put the stipulation down immediately.

"What am I going to have to do to prove that one?" Owl drew her hands up and down the Slayer's spine.

"Not wince when you move or groan all the time." Buffy teased. "You couldn't roll over last night without making that pathetic noise."

"I make a pathetic noise?" Owl arched an eyebrow.

"Erugh." Buffy imitated it and smiled. "Erughe."

"Okay note to self, too noisy." Owl laughed as she stroked warm skin.

"No, not too noisy, I just know you're in pain." Buffy opened one eye. "And you're not patrolling until your healthy or we're absolutely desperate."

"Thanks so I'm too noisy and to be brought out when you're desperate. I think it's a good job I don't have confidence issues." Owl laughed.

"Owl, that's not what I meant." Buffy pushed up to look at her. "We're not risking you on some stupid Bringers on a Wednesday night."

"But if I was decent at what I trained, then it wouldn't be much of a risk." Owl countered.

"You are decent, you're a great fighter who got hit by a car." Buffy pointed out. "You deserve a few days off."

"How unlucky am I!" Owl laughed drawing her hands back up the Slayer's body.

"Now I should be horrified." Buffy put her head back down. "Here I am half naked and you're saying you're unlucky."

"Oh no, God no, hugely lucky. I just didn't want to draw attention to it in case you'd forgotten that it was me." She chuckled stroking softly over her back.

"I know it's you Piper." Buffy admitted softly.

"Good." Piper leaned down and placed a kiss between her shoulder blades.

"Mmmm." Buffy's body moved under the kiss slightly as through the relaxation of the massage a shudder of pleasure ran through her.

"Just so you know, I don't do that in most massages." Owl whispered massaging again.

"Mmmm lucky me." Buffy pushed her legs more apart the towel falling off her back.

"Hopefully." Owl placed another kiss lower.

"Very." Buffy groaned her hips arching into the bed.

"Buffy." Owl pulled back a little. "Stop me any time, I don't want to do anything you don't want me to."

"I don't want to stop yet." Buffy admitted not moving away.

"Good." Owl refocused again on the massage.

"You're really, really good at that." Buffy whispered her voice thick and obviously at ease.

"Thank you." Owl smiled. "Buffy." She dropped her voice a notch. "Would it be okay if I got on the bed? To get the best position for this I really need to be astride you."

"Mmmm yes, whatever you need." Buffy groaned as hands slid over her flesh.

Very gently Owl eased up on the bed and eased one of her legs over Buffy's legs to settle back on her calves. Buffy realized she was almost impatient for her to settle and continue touching her. Happy with her place Owl reached up and slid her hands up Buffy's spine and over her shoulders.

"MMMMM." Buffy groaned her approval.

"Too hard?" Owl checked it hadn't been a moan of discomfort.

"No, no, you have magic hands." Buffy whispered.

"I wouldn't say that, I have trained hands." Piper ran them up and down and over Buffy's shoulders.

"You trained in massage?" Buffy checked only vaguely concentrating on anything other than the relaxing strokes.

"Yes." Owl nodded. "I have a diploma somewhere."

"Wow." Buffy groaned in pleasure. "You should have got a gold star too."

"No, no gold star." Owl focused on Buffy's right shoulder.

"I'll get you one." Buffy groaned as a tight lifelong knot was worked on.

"This had been here a while." Owl gently kneaded the soft skin.

"Don't remember what demon, but yeah awhile." Buffy confirmed.

"With work I could probably ease the tension in it." The potential predicted.

"Mmmm I'm happier with it already." Buffy shifted and rested her other cheek on the bed.

"Good." Owl shifted from it to run over Buffy's whole back again. "You have beautiful skin."

"Thank you." Buffy whispered arching slightly in the long strokes.

"My pleasure, it's really soft, hardly scarred." Owl worked back up to the trouble spot.

"I try to take good care of it to keep the scars down." Buffy admitted. "Vain I know."

"Not vain, feminine." Owl shook her head and changed her massage to light gentle strokes.

"Just because I'm the Slayer doesn't mean I shouldn't stay feminine." Buffy agreed her body arching lightly with the pleasant strokes.

"Oh no, I agree." Piper smiled more even though Buffy couldn't see. "Though with all these curves in just the right places, you'll always be feminine." She let her hand wander over Buffy's hip.

"I feel feminine." Buffy wiggled slightly into her touch.

"You should." Owl encouraged. "You are beautiful Buffy." She added in a whisper.

"I'm not." Buffy objected lightly.

"Buffy shush." Owl chided softly. "Disagreeing is not conducive to relaxation.

"Okay." Buffy settled down again.

"Better," She laughed lightly. "How are your shoulders feeling?"

"Loose." Buffy breathed out. "Like I've never thrown a punch."

"Well you haven't during the massage," Piper pointed out softly leaning down and placing a soft kiss on each of the Slayer's shoulder blades.

"Mmmm nice." Buffy pressed under the kisses.

"What ever you want, what ever you need Buffy, you can always ask anything of me." Piper whispered as she kissed the base of her neck.

"But it has to be what you want too." Buffy didn't miss the noise from the back of her throat that the kisses caused.

"I think we can guarantee that and anyway I would say if it weren't." Piper replied moving her kisses to behind Buffy's ear.

"Then don't stop." Buffy whispered her hand coming up to thread her fingers into soft brown hair.

"Okay, I won't." Owl promised moving the kisses around Buffy's left side then crossing to her right. Buffy let her fingers slip away as Owl moved. "Buffy I don't want to rush you, and I want to do everything with clear and direct permission, but I'd love you to turn over."

"Turn over?" Buffy opened her eyes checking the request.

"You can hang on to the towel." She smiled.

"Okay." The Slayer nodded. She waited until Owl lifted up some of her weight and putting one hand down to keep the towel over her breasts she turned over.

"There you go." Piper smiled at her warmly.

"Hi." Buffy looked at her with relaxed pleasured eyes.

"Hi." She replied softly reaching down a fingertip to flick away some of the Slayer's hair off her face. "You're beautiful." She whispered again, leaning down to lightly kiss her forehead.

"I would object but it wastes relaxation." Buffy smirked.

"You have a great learning curve." Piper smiled. "To add to the list of all your other great curves."

"You have to when you're in my line of work." Buffy smiled as the other woman's eyes drifted over her. Putting her fingers lightly on Buffy's temple the potential began a head massage. "You just... umm… discovered the Summers' girls Achilles heel." Buffy's eyes closed and her lips parted slightly.

"Enjoy." Owl whispered. "Here let me get off you." She added slipping off from over Buffy's body resting on the bed beside her.

"You were fine." Buffy objected lightly though her focus was on the rubbing over her temples.

"This way you don't have any pressure on your body, it's all just about relaxation." Owl explained her fingers never stopping.

"Mmmm I feel relaxed." She admitted.

"Good, it's nice to know though slightly car spoiled I have my old touch." Owl gave a quirky smile.

"I think your touch is just fine." Buffy opened her eyes a sliver.

"Good, I want you to feel good." Owl stroked over and over Buffy's forehead and temple.

"Mmm so good its like I could just fall asleep." She admitted then opened her eyes completely. "I mean not that you're boring or that I want too..." She panicked thinking she'd said the wrong thing.

"Buffy, shush." Piper leaned in placed a kiss on the Slayer's lips. "Sleep if you want to sleep."

"I don't want to sleep." Buffy looked up into the potential's eyes. For a moment Tara's words came back to her and she ran through the short checklist. This wasn't hurting her, she felt warm and relaxed and beautiful. "Piper, is this hurting you?" She asked very softly.

"No." Piper said gently. "It's not hurting in the slightest. You?"

"No." Buffy felt herself smile. "So what else does this massage entail?"

"That's up to you Buffy." Owl stated simply. "If you want nothing more, and to just give in and sleep, that's fine." She drew her fingers around across Buffy's collarbone slowly.

"I don't think I do." Buffy shook her head. "I think I want..." She leaned up and kissed Piper. "To see the rest of your massage." She looked her straight in the eye.

"This doesn't tie you to anything Buffy." Owl pressed back into a deeper kiss after her words. "Even if we spend the whole night enjoying each other, it doesn't have to be more than that." She pulled back again. "But if you're sure." She moved her hand to play with the towel. "Then this needs to go."

"Just promise me that this won't hurt you, just enjoying tonight won't hurt you?" Buffy put her hand over Piper's.

"It won't hurt me Buffy." Piper shook her head.

"Then we don't need the towel." Buffy used both their hands to pull it off her body and toss it away.

"God, you're hot." Piper breathed out, letting her eyes linger on the Slayer's body. Buffy felt her stomach shiver as the words spun down, forming a hot pool between her legs.

"So are you." She echoed softly.

"Nah right now I'm a bruised car wreck." Owl laughed. "Hence the still fully clothed."

"I was going to point out your way overdressed." Buffy reached up toying with the collar on her shirt.

"Well beneath this are bandages which are sexier." Owl chuckled and without a care reached up easing her shirt off to reveal the slightly lesser strapping around her torso, now under her breasts.

"But... oh my." Buffy's eyes strayed down to see Piper's full breasts and it made her stop all thoughts.

"My legs look better though see." Owl pulled back and pushed her red plaid pants down off her hips in a gentle motion.

"Piper, God you're beautiful." Buffy couldn't take her eyes off the potential's body.

"In that very fashionable blue and purple blotched way." She poked at a bruise on her leg.

"I'm used to bruises, they are signs of truth." Buffy reached and ran her hand softly over it. "They are signs of courage."

"I want to kiss you." Piper felt her body push gently into the touches.

"I want you to kiss me too." Buffy leaned closer.

"Good because this time I'm really going to mean it." Piper vowed.

"Wait, you didn't before?" Buffy stopped her.

"Buffy that was my subtle way of telling you I may well touch you this time."

Owl explained seeing the flare of confusion.

"Touching is good." Buffy nodded leaning into the potential's lips.

"Good." Piper pressed close into the kiss, her hand sliding over to rest on her side, just at her waist.

The Slayer was with the kiss wholeheartedly as she felt the warm strong hand on her skin and she wound her arms around Piper's body pulling her closer. Piper slid her leg up without encouragement to guide over Buffy's calf, rhythmically sliding up and down as she explored the Slayer's lips with her own. Before introducing her tongue into the sweet caress, her hand ran up the side of Buffy's body and then downward over her hip.

A momentary mental check confirmed to Buffy this didn't hurt, it wasn't rushed and the body against her was warm and attentive rather than trying to rip pleasure out of her. She pressed her leg between Owl's as she brought her hand around cupping it around a hot breast.

"Yes Buffy, mmmmm yes." Owl encouraged her in a low moan before pressing her tongue deep into the other woman's mouth, her hand sliding around to cup the Slayer's butt cheek.

Buffy felt her lips opening to the questing muscle as she kneaded the flesh she held, finding it too much for her small hands she pressed side to side, bringing her thumb to caress over a hard nipple.

"Mmmmmmhhmmmm." Owl encouraged with a moan and a nodded, reluctant to answer her verbally as she was happily exploring the Slayer's mouth.

Buffy didn't bother with words either as she pressed her tongue back against Owl's chasing her into the potential's mouth as she pulled and pressed more on her breast enjoying every hot moan it caused. Piper let Buffy's tongue slide into her mouth sucking on it lightly to welcome her. Sliding her hands off the Slayer's ass she drew them up her spine, all the while arching her back, pressing her breast to Buffy's hands.

On the prompting Buffy brought her other hand up between them, lavishing equal attention on both of the potential's breasts while her hips pressed to Owl's over and over.

"God you're so hot." Pulling her head back breaking the kiss Piper looked at Buffy.

"Not as hot as you." Buffy squeezed her hands. "You're like liquid fire."

"I promise not to burn you." Owl vowed.

"I believe you." Buffy nodded.

"Good." Owl smiled and moved her hand to run over the back of Buffy's head. "Why don't you taste them?" She asked arching her back slightly more.

Buffy licked her lips for a moment before she took the slight prompting and lowered her head, she flicked out her tongue first feeling how Owl arched harder to her before she closed her lips and sucked hard.

"Ohhh yes." For a moment Owl went to tighten her hand at the back of Buffy's head, but not wanting her to feel in any way restrained or forced she drew it lower and massaged her shoulder lightly. "Feel how they like that, how I like that."

Buffy growled lightly as she licked and sucked harder easily feeling just that.

"Slide over onto me Buffy." Owl encouraged drawing her hand lightly up and down the top of her spine.

Buffy followed her easily, landing with her hips straddling low to avoid the potential's ribs, her hands braced into the bed as she dug forward to suck more of the potential's breast into her mouth.

"Beautiful." Owl brought both of her hands to rest on either of Buffy's hips

Introducing a slight rock against her lower body as Buffy sucked.

"Mmmmm." Buffy switched breasts lavishing the other one.

"Look at you." Owl breathed. "God you're amazing." She felt her nipple straining to be touched by the Slayer's exploring tongue or lips

"I'm winging it." Buffy grinned as she pulled back licking her wet lips. She ground her hips down.

"Well I'm more wringing it, as in you have me soaking Buffy." Owl panted slightly. "Between my legs is a pool of pure desire."

"Because of me?" Buffy looked at her blinking rather innocently as the comment made her grind her own hips down harder, she knew that between her legs was exactly what Owl was describing.

"You and only you. Give me your hand." She offered softly and wasn't surprised when Buffy did it immediately. "Feel." Owl breathed letting the tension fall out of her lower body so that she could slide Buffy's hand with her own over the top of it down between her legs. Putting light pressure on Buffy's middle finger she eased it between her hot swollen aroused lips into the pool beyond.

"Oh my God." Buffy's eyes went wide and she fought back a groan when she slipped into the potential's body feeling the molten liquid wet pooling there.

"All you." Owl flexed her hips. "All because and for amazingly sexy you."

"I never knew that..." Buffy moved her finger up and down without prompting. "I could do this."

"Well you can." Owl nodded. "You so can." She breathed a little faster, moving her hips more. "I'd love it if you did it more." She admitted. "Because this feels so good."

"It feels good?" Buffy questioned as she slipped another finger in drawing them back and forth over the potential's centre spreading the wetness over her own skin.

"More than good." Piper groaned. "It makes me throb inside, and fill with passion."

"Mmmm I can feel that." Buffy rubbed faster.

"If you feel deeper you'll see how I want you deeper. How ready and wet you've made me, so that I can embrace your fingers." The potential described.

"You're like a poet." The blonde smiled at her.

"No, I just love this feeling, this is being alive, this is living, to feel this, to make someone else feel this." Piper explained groaning again.

Buffy groaned as she did finally moved lower, unable to believe how easily her fingers were almost dragged in past wet inner lips and engulfed by the potential's hot inner muscles.

"Oh God this is alive." Buffy whispered in shock as Owl gasped in pure pleasure as she pushed against Buffy's penetrating fingers. She felt the flexing and jumping around her fingers and pulled out before she pressed back in starting a fast rhythm.

"Oh Buffy God." Owl tipped her head back not expecting Buffy's take charge and keen instinct for how to turn her into mush in seconds.

"Yes." Buffy shifted her body back so she was over one leg so that she could have more thrust, she pressed in harder against each arch of Owl's body.

"Here." Owl panted using strength from somewhere she braced the leg Buffy straddled up a little so that the Slayer's movement rubbed her centre over her tensed thigh. "Now do what feels good." She let her head loll back her neck relaxing as her inner muscles worked locking and releasing Buffy's fingers.

"That does feel good." Buffy found the new friction itching the ache she felt between her legs. She worked her hips in time with her hand as she pressed and pulled, twisting to change the way her fingers entered and rubbing inside. She was amazed when she could feel Owl's heart beat pumping into her hand.

On one of the Slayer twists Owl felt exploring fingers press up and rub against a spot that she knew she couldn't restrain her reaction from. Bucking hard and crying out in pleasure the potential felt her insides literally pulse with reaction.

"What was that?" Buffy questioned feeling stupid as she repeated the motion and saw the extremely almost insane reaction of pleasure in Piper's body.

"G... G spot." Owl gasped as soon as she was able.

"I thought that was a myth?" Buffy concentrated on figuring out exactly where it was as she rubbed her fingers over it lightly.

As if trained Piper's hips jumped and bucked to Buffy's every move, until the potential squeezed her hand tightly around Buffy's hip, orgasming hard. Buffy watched everything amazed by the uninhibited release she was causing.

"No myth." Piper gasped and panted.

"Wow." Buffy grinned almost proudly as she slowed her hand with Piper's hips.

"Oh yeah, I'm on the wow train." Piper's breathing began to slow. "Wanna go there?" She asked looking at Buffy with sparkling eyes.

"Definitely." Buffy didn't hesitate.

"Lay down, the first time should just be about feeling, not having to worry about keeping your balance or anything like that." Owl urged the Slayer to slide onto the mattress. Buffy shifted over groaning when she pulled away from the potential's leg.

"Your thigh might be a bit wet." She noted with a smile.

"I like it that way." Owl ran her hand over it and nodded. "I really like it that way." She added slipping her hand from her own thigh onto Buffy's, moving up onto her knees beside the other woman. "I'd like to feel the source of that wetness." She added looking up through heavy eyes.

"Mmmm God please." Buffy groaned feeling her legs open more.

"My pleasure." Owl moved more as she slid her fingers in and down the inside of Buffy's thigh, bringing her self round to kneel between wider spread legs. "Beautiful." She pressed her lips onto Buffy's right inner thigh while letting the fingers of her right hand drift up her left inner thigh and then through hot wet curls.

"You're..." Buffy looked down at her. "Down there with your hand."

"I can move, any time." Owl drew in a breath as she kissed soft inner thigh skin and stilled her fingers gentle stroke.

"No, it's just..." Buffy put her head back. "Only... no one ever..." She arched into the gentle stroke. "Please Piper."

"Shhh Buffy, feel, live." She breathed each word after placing light kisses on Buffy's thigh. Her fingers stroking over and over and then pressing easing apart swollen lips to bask in the glorious pool of arousal beyond drawing the precious honey like fluid out and over the Slayer's heated lips. Owl kept kissing over and over in small tight circles

Buffy didn't know if she was groaning or moaning or just holding her breath as she arched and moved under the attention.

"Christ you're beautiful." Owl breathed blowing out lightly over hot skin as she let her central finger ease up and gently into the blonde. The Slayer's body buckled up under the cool air and she gasped as Piper pressed into her body filling the space that ached to be filled. "That's it." Owl breathed out.

"God so ready." Buffy was amazed at how receptive she was.

"Yes." Owl agreed easing out to her first knuckle and then back in again, her thumb coming in to nudge lightly on Buffy's centre.

"You really know you're..." Buffy moaned again. "Way around down there." She danced with the motion.

"I hope so." Owl breathed out, picking up on the fact that the Slayer needed one focus to centre an experience on right now rather than being present with the world of options. Lessening the pressure of her thumb and lips Owl moved her finger around lightly inside the Slayer's body.

Buffy moaned as everything focused down to the pressure inside her, the gentle movements that carved out against her inner muscles. Mapping carefully the Slayer's pressure sensitive skin, Owl let her finger slid deeper for a moment in a certain place and then slid it out just a fraction, rubbing forward on it and then side to side.

"Piper!" Buffy almost sat up as a shot of fiery almost unbelievable pleasure went through her.

"Okay?" Owl kept up a gentle pressure on the skin just to the side of the spot.

"Yesss." Buffy was able to relax back on the bed. "God... what... did you do?" She panted as her hips rocked.

"Found your myth." Owl smirked softly.

"That's what that is?" Buffy reached up whipping her slightly sweaty forehead.

"Want more?" Piper offered. "It's amazing when it lets go."

"Yes." Buffy encouraged greedily. "Yesss."

Owl went directly back slipping her finger sideways onto the sensitive spot teasing and drubbing it.

"That's unbelievable." Buffy's body arched again as her eyes squeezed shut, she took a few quick panting breaths before she just held it, her body grinding down against the pleasure.

"Feel." Piper whispered, moving to place her lips more or less still on the flat stomach just above where her fingers rubbed, put giving a little pressure for her to rub her fingers against.

Buffy nodded as she breathed out hotly through her nose, her entire body focused on the tiny movement that flared through her like wildfire. Turning her head Owl rested her cheek against Buffy's lower abdomen and put slightly more direct pressure on the exquisite spot.

"Now let it go." She breathed.

Reaching down Buffy curled her fingers into brown hair flexing tightly a few more times before her hips locked and she let out a long muffled groan as she began jumping between Piper's body and the bed.

Moaning in pleasure that literally buzzed in the room Piper let Buffy enjoy the longest most fulfilling orgasm she could using her fingers carefully and teasing light kisses to hot smooth skin.

After a long time Buffy's electrified body finally lowered back to the bed, her leg muscles twitching as she panted for breath. Owl gently eased out of her and lifted up from her stomach, resting just a hand lightly between her breasts.

"That's it breathe, breathe." She whispered.

"That was... you're..." Buffy took a few more breaths turning to look at her.

"I'm…" Piper breath and looked into hazel eyes. "I'm not hurting, not bruised and not regretting a single second." She leaned in and kissed Buffy briefly. "But I am knackered." She smiled.

"Me too." Buffy breathed out and closed her eyes.

-x-


	11. Chapter 11

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Eleven.**

"Did you hear something?" Willow questioned rather breathlessly looking to the hallway as her concentration was pulled rather unwontedly away from the hands that were massaging across her stomach.

"I wasn't actually listening." Tara replied honestly drawing her hands back to her own body.

"Oh no baby, I didn't mean to interrupt." Willow looked back. "Just you know with all that is going on." She listened and didn't hear anything. "No screaming, it must have just been someone snoring or something." She tilted up to Tara. "Where were we?"

"Let me go check." Tara flipped back the light cover that was over them and swung her bare legs out of the bed.

"Baby I'm sure its fine." Willow objected softly.

"It caught your attention which means it will worry you." Tara shook her head and hurried naked to the door, pulling the robe off the hook on it she slid it onto her body.

"But if it is something." Willow pushed up following her.

"If it's something, I can deal." Tara turned and looked at the redhead.

"I love you." Willow grinned proudly.

Tara eased out into the hallway and took a few hesitant steps down towards the other rooms coming to a gentle stop, a slow smile crossed her face as she tuned in to the noise and the obvious cause. Turning she tiptoed back down the hall going into there room and easing the door closed. Shrugging off her robe she hung it back on the door.

"You're smiling, everything must be okay." Willow watched her come back in.

"It is." Tara crept back to the bed and eased between the sheets.

"What was it?" Willow snuggled close to her immediately.

"Buffy." Tara replied drawing her fingers up through red hair as Willow settled on her shoulder.

"Buffy?" Willow questioned immediately. "Is she okay?"

"I think so." Tara nodded trying not to smirk.

"I see that." Willow leaned over a bit reaching up to tap her lip. "What's going on?"

"Trust me, I think her and Owl are fine." Tara remained tight-lipped.

"Her and Owl?" Willow raised an eyebrow. "But if it was a good thing and not a bad thing then it sounded like someone..." Her eyes went wider. "Are you saying?" She couldn't even say it.

"They could just be playing monopoly." Tara offered an innocent answer.

"We don't own monopoly." Willow shook her head.

"Maybe Owl brought it with her?" Tara chuckled.

"What did you hear!" Willow pressed her for information.

"Willow!" Tara chided her softly. "Personal time is personal." She tapped her lover's nose lightly.

"So you confirm you heard personal time." Willow grinned. "Personal time between Buffy and Owl."

"If you are that interested go 'check for danger'." Tara giggled glancing at the door.

"Doesn't that border on creep factor?" Willow bit her lip. "I mean I don't really want to hear Buffy..." She though about it and then firmly shook her head. "No, I don't want to hear that."

"Are you sure?" Tara teased tickling her lover's ear lightly.

"Oh course I don't." Willow shook her head. "I just can't believe... she's... with a girl."

"Why?" Tara asked innocently. "Is there a homophobic Willow in there trying to get out."

"No!" She shook her head. "Just, you know Buffy. She likes the stick."

"There could be stick." Tara teased even more, winking with a broad grin.

"Oh yes, I can see Owl with the stick." Willow grinned laughing.

"Have you been having naughty other women thoughts Ms. Rosenberg?" Tara giggled.

"Never. Just thinking about you and..." She giggled back.

"Me and..." Tara leaned in and rubbed noses with the redhead.

"Mmmm me." Willow tilted her head bringing her lips to Tara's.

"Good." Tara pressed into their kiss.

Willow found all other thoughts floating away as her lips played over those of the blonde's, every ounce of her attention on the soft skin and breath that poured out over her face.

"How are you feeling?" Tara asked breaking the kiss but not pulling away.

"Like I want to make love to you until the dawn." Willow whispered tracing her fingers over Tara's collarbone.

"Really." Tara felt a shiver race up her spine.

"Every night." The redhead nodded.

"Even when I'm old and grey and can't find my slippers?" Tara beamed.

"Especially then." Willow leaned kissing between her breasts.

"Or when the children have had us up on the hour every hour wanting feedings or diaper changes." Tara's blue eyes dipped closed under the kisses.

"It will have to be a quickie so we don't miss the next feeding, but yes." Willow kissed over the top of her right breast.

"What about when its Christmas morning we've just got all the presents in the right place, I've got out of my Santa suit and you've taken off your Rudolf head, it's four thirty and you know the children will be bouncing on our bed at five." Tara reached up stroking Willow's shoulder.

"Mmmm just enough time." Willow kissed in a circle around her nipple.

"What about when our youngest moves out, leaving us alone in the house together for the first time in twenty five years?" Tara moaned softly as her nipple reacted almost instantly to the kisses close by.

"Champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and naked on the living room floor."  
Willow finally placed a kiss over the hard flesh.

"Mmmmmmm ohhh Willow." Tara curled the fingers of her other hand into red hair making sure that her lover didn't stray far from excited flesh.

"Every time I can I want to make love to you." Willow wound her tongue around the stiff nipple.

"And I want you too and to make love to you as soon as I get the strength again." She smiled her eyes still closed.

"Are you too tired?" Willow checked softly as she kissed where she was teasing.

"No, no." Tara shook her head. "I want you to make love to me baby." She added softly.

"Mmmm good." Willow ran her lip along the nipple she teased closing her eyes as she memorized the texture and taste of Tara's skin.

"I love you Willow." Tara breathed out, arching her back slightly.

"Mmmm I love you." Willow closed her lips and suckled teasing.

"Still my breast girl." Tara stroked red hair.

"My favourite breasts." Willow leaned back a little and looked at where she was kissing before she began licking and sucking more.

"So should I keep the tan up?" Tara stroked red hair over and over.

"Mmmm yes please." Willow groaned kissing and licking every inch of Tara's right breast before she sighed and moved to the other one.

"I'm going to have to remember we're not in our little love apartment anymore." The blonde reminded herself.

"You can blame it on Buffy." Willow shifted so that her licking and sucking of Tara's sun kissed skin reached more area.

"I'm not so much thinking blame, I'm thinking noise level." Tara admitted.

"I meant noise." Willow giggled as she kissed between the two rich swells.

"Oh." Tara giggled. "Sorry not thinking, blood else where."

"Where baby?" Willow teased leaning back up to kiss her lips lightly.

"You know where." Tara blushed.

"To your fingers." Willow brought one up and kissed the tips.

"No." Tara shook her head tracing her fingertip around the lips that kissed it.

"Oh to your arms." Willow leaned in a bit kissing her forearm and then her elbow.

"Not so much." Tara breathed a little faster.

"Your shoulders?" Willow questioned kissing each of them.

"A little lower baby."

"Tummy?" Willow teased bringing her fingers down to twirl around Tara's belly button.

"Closer." Tara breathed in the muscles in her stomach fluttering.

"Oh I know your thighs?" Willow purposely shifted her hand sliding down over Tara's hips and skirting around on her right thigh.

"There's possibly still some in there." Tara felt her body tremble.

"But not the most of it?" Willow checked sliding it up the inside but stopping a few inches away from where she knew Tara wanted her fingers.

"No, most of it is where you have caused it to be." Tara blinked her blue eyes open and smirked at her lover.

"Me?" Willow faked innocence. "What have I done?" She slowly dragged one finger up and slid it through neatly kept hair to wind in a slow circle without any pressure.

"Willow." Tara shook her head. "You turned a shy, scared, stuttering witch into… Mmmmmm." She had to stop to moan in pleasure. "Into what I am now, your sensual, sexual, incredibly turned on lover."

"How turned on?" Willow felt her body shivering as the words flowed through caressing her. She slid her finger down carving out the slight indentation that promised so much waiting beyond.

"Find out baby." Tara urged her. "Please."

Willow took the immediate cue and pushed in through swollen outer lips, groaning as she was engulfed by the hidden pool within and drawn deeper.

"Yes." Tara closed her eyes again in pure pleasure, her hips rising up off the bed slightly.

Slowly Willow slid her finger all the way forward until it threatened to slide out and then slid it all the way back circling.

"Oh Willow." Tara breathed out. "That turned on." She felt her body shiver.

"Goddess baby I will never be ready for just how good you feel." Willow ran her fingers back and forth, carving out the hard rise of Tara's centre before she eased down and slipped inside just a bit.

"Oh you may." Tara purred. "In a hundred years or so."

"Never." Willow twirled inside playing with flexing warm muscles.

"Ohhhh Willow." Tara's hips pushed higher before she slid her leg to the side more, giving her lover more room and easier access. Willow gladly took the invitation pressing in deeper in a slow thrust before she pulled out. "Oh Willow, you've... I'm so close." Tara bit her lip slightly recognizing her body fast reaction to Willow's touches.

"And if I touch here?" Willow brought her thumb around pressing against Tara's centre.

Tara's hips bucked up, before the witch thought to control the wave of pleasure, a hard low groan escaping from her open mouth.

"I know my baby likes that." Willow pressed in while her finger twirled inside.

"You know my body so well." Tara agreed her breath shortening into soft pants. "I really am yours."

"Just as I'm yours." The redhead vowed swirling her thumb to match the motion inside.

Tara felt her hips take on a familiar comfortable flex her light pants becoming a little louder and faster.

"Just like that baby." Willow soothed dipping her lips to lick and suck at her nipple.

"How do you... every time..." Tara breathed out feeling her body warming through.

"Because I love you." Willow whispered between licks, she kept the movements of her hand constant and steady.

"Still." Tara breathed her hips flicking higher.

"Always." Willow breathed speeding up the movement now wanting Tara to know just how constant her love had been.

"Oh yes." Tara breathed more than happy at both the sentiment and the movement, her body picking up the tempo easily.

Willow busied her lips again, sucking and nibbling as her thumb swirled faster and she slipped in a second finger. Tara's body relaxed willing to accept more from her lover, but closing tightly around the new offering though covering it quickly with thick warm arousal. A deep groan came instantly as Willow moved in faster, wanting to draw out more and more of the wet response.

Tara felt her body eagerly providing the lubrication her lover sought. Her muscles flexed and spasmed slightly around Willow's fingers, coating them over and over as her excitement grew.

"Yes baby yes." Willow encouraged the changes in Tara's body as she flicked her thumb stroking her fingers in and out. Bright blue eyes flared open and looked at Willow.

"Baby I'm going to... oh sweet mother earth..." Tara's hips bucked a little erratically.

Willow closed her lips again, sucking hard as she sped up her hand trying to keep up a rhythm as Tara's body rocked beneath her.

"Oh Willow, Oh Willow, oh Willow." Tara's mantra like moan grew in volume as she raced higher towards release, her inner muscles tightening trying to pull the redhead in deeper.

Willow groaned with her, flicking her tongue inside her mouth over just the tip of Tara's nipples. She let the blonde's body grip and flex around her fingers, pressing them in deep ad leaving them there.

Tara's muscles flexed and then locked around the redhead's fingers when they adjusted to the sudden stillness, gripping tightly as the whole of Tara's body tensed and tremored. Willow waited until she felt spasms beginning inside before she swirled her thumb, riding the hood of flesh over Tara's centre.

"Benevolent Goddess!" Tara suddenly screamed loudly as a hard orgasm rocked her body and soul.

"Oh baby." Willow whimpered tipping her head up to watch her lover as the hard release struck through her and arched her up off the bed.

"Oh Willow, Willow, Willow." Tara panted feeling her spasming body release wave after wave of thick hot honey over her lover's fingers.

"Yes Tara, yes." Willow urged her moving to stroke in and out again through tight muscles.

"Oh Goddess baby, please don't... Don't stop." Tara's body began a second much faster rock and buck off the bed.

"I won't, I don't want to." The redhead soothed her moving with her.

"Don't Goddess don't ever stop touching me." Tara panted.

"Never, I could never do that." Willow locked her wrist and pressed faster.

"Don't baby, ever." Tara shook her head feeling her inner muscles tensing all over again.

"Never." Willow groaned again feeling the way Tara's body gripped her, pulling and pushing her.

Tara wrapped her arm loosely around Willow's head while the fingers of her other hand balled up into the sheet covering the mattress. Willow leaned into her, her hot breath panting over Tara's skin as she pulled out and then boldly pushed in with three fingers bunched together.

"Yes Goddess yes." Tara tipped her head back pushing her hips clear of the mattress, her stomach muscles fluttering and tensing her thigh muscles locking and trembling slightly. The movement didn't get her free from Willow's fingers completely as they slipped in and out of her body. "Willow." Tara's eyes flared wider as she called to her lover, her body loosing a little of its tenseness just so that it could fall into a fast erotic rhythm.

"Yessss." Willow moaned as their bodies slowed to a slow long thrust.

Tara's eyes dipped closed again briefly as she felt every inch of Willow's slow push into her body flattening her hips slightly to change the angle of entry Tara hinted that Willow might want to explore her surroundings more. Th blond witch knew that she was in Willow's hands now, in all ways and that probably one touch of her most sensitive areas would reduce her once more into orgasmic bliss.

Willow let her lover move and settle before she twirled her fingers inside, switching the angle of her wrist so her fingers pressed downward against the blonde's movement.

"Mmmmmm." Tara whimpered in pleasure slightly as Willow made subtle changes.

"Come on top baby." Willow moved slightly urging the blonde around and over her leg.

"On top?" Tara checked that the redhead had uttered the soft words and that she hadn't just made them up in her own bliss filled heady brain.

"On top." Willow instructed again wanting Tara to follow without having to move her hand. Willingly the blonde began the soft transition executing a gentle shift and then settling in her new position over the redhead. "There you go." Willow braced her leg up, rocking her body so that Tara slid against her thigh. Slowly now she pulled her fingers back, making it so that the blonde's open body rested tightly against her skin.

Tara again whimpered in total pleasure as she felt them settle together tight and hot.

"Sweet goddess angel." Tara felt her hip flex pressing her a little down Willow's thigh.

"Mmmm you feel so good." Willow leaned into the bed feeling the hot flush soaking into her skin.

Tara breathed out quickly and then pressed her back upright, tipping her head back and letting her long hair trail down over her back. Reaching her hand behind her she lightly held Willow's other leg and began sliding up and down Willow's thigh. Willow's hands came up as she did, cupping around the blonde's breasts. Catching her bottom lip between her teeth Tara moaned as she felt Willow's hands her nipples hardening more straining to the touch. Willow sprayed each thumb over the hard fleshy tips. Tara's long erotic rhythm was interrupted with a hard buck as she felt the move of Willow's thumbs, the move releasing a wave of arousal between her body and Willow's thigh.

"That's my baby." Willow urged her more brushing her thumbs again.

"Willow you're amazing." Tara breathed out in hard pants.

"No, I just selfishly want to feel you, sliding against me." Willow moaned.

Shifting a little in her position Tara felt her knee nudge up in between her lover's legs as her thigh riding sped up a little.

"Tara!" Willow jolted with the contact, her overly aroused body arching. "Ooh Willow baby." Willow's heat and desire suddenly warmed the skin of Tara's knee, deliberately now she rocked her knee in place as she moved filling her own bodies demands. "Yessss baby." She found her focus on Tara split as her own body was filled with rocked desire as her flush aroused skin was rubbed against Tara's knee.

"Mmmmm Willow." Tara's eyes closed again as she swapped hands, bracing her weight back with one hand on the mattress behind her, the other one sliding up Willow's lowered thigh her own body still gripping and sliding over the redhead's other leg.

Willow forced her eyes open to watch the sensual sight before her.

Aware that her back was tightly arched and her neck tipped back and more than aware of the bounce of her breasts as she rode Willow's leg Tara let herself feel the incredible sexual power between her and Willow. The thoughts caused another soft flood out over the redhead's thigh as she nudged her knee up tighter and moved faster.

"Goddess Tara, Tara." Willow whimpered as her hips started to shiver the muscles of her thigh flexing and releasing against Tara's body. She couldn't believe the jolt of pleasure that was steaming through her body, she felt herself pushed up onto her shoulder blades as she tried to ride the crest of it.

"SWEET WILLOW." Tara gasped as her body jumped from sensual riding to shuddering shaking climax her hand gripping Willow's thigh and the mattress cover as she trembled against her lover's leg breathing out in long staggered breaths. "Oh Willow, Willow." She moaned through the panting.

Willow made the ride harder and harder as her own body flexed and bounced around. She'd lost her voice, reduced to a number of grunts and loud moans, as she didn't feel the orgasming ebbing.

Tara was lost in blissful oblivion as her body danced and rolled in continuous release, held there by the sent and sounds from Willow's climax and the overwhelming high of soul filled love.

Willow wasn't sure when they had started to slow and Tara had tipped forward resting on top of her. What she was first aware of was their breaths, panting together as they tried to catch up with themselves.

"Oh Goddess baby." Tara's damp head rested panting on Willow's chest, her words barely audible.

"I love you." Willow tried to get the words out evenly as she pressed her lips to Tara's hair.

"Tell me I don't have to move." Tara heard the heavy tiredness in her voice. As she let her longer legs slide down the bed rest her body more or less fully onto Willow and the mattress beneath her.

"Don't move." Willow hugged her shaking arm around Tara's back.

Tara lifted a shaky hand and cupped it round one of Willow's small but perfect breasts tipping her head to the side letting her eyes drift close.

"I love you." She kissed the skin beside her mouth.

Willow felt a minor surge of pleasure drive her eyes closed as she settled in with Tara.

"I love you too." She whispered feeling sleep creeping up to take her exhausted and fulfilled body.

-x-

Faith was busy rushing through her fourth bowl of cereal when she saw Willow and Tara come strolling in giggling.

"Hey." She grinned at them widely.

"Good morning Faith." Tara held onto Willow's hand swinging it lightly.

"You sure that's not a great morning?' Faith continued to grin.

"Yes, it is." Willow agreed with her rather caught up in the blonde as she kissed her hand then wandered over to make them toast.

"You want juice sweetie?" Tara bustled over to the fridge humming.

"We all know Willow." Faith grinned putting more cereal in her bowl to use up the milk. "It's... oh goddess oh goddess oh goddess great." She imitated sniggering as she picked up her bowl moving to the living room.

Willow stood there with her jaw hanging open as she stared at Faith's back and it took all of Tara's strength not to drop the juice bottle in her hand as she turned and looked at Willow.

"Though my question is, who is the Goddess Piper?" Faith's head stuck back into to look in the kitchen, her natural desire to see the effect of her teasing making her return necessary.

"Some one want me?" Without thinking twice or hearing all of the conversation, Owl opened the door and walked into the kitchen carrying up a small pile of towels.

It was Faith's turn to nearly drop the bowl as she came around the corner fully. She appraised the way that Tara's cheeks went even redder.

"Yeah Piper, just wondering how you did last night with the ribs? Did Buffy look after you?" Faith smirked.

"Much better, they're..." The potential stopped. "Am I missing something?" She asked glancing between Faith, Willow and Tara.

"No, seems you didn't miss a thing." Faith moved over and patted her on the back congratulating her secretly. "Did she girls?"

"No, nothing." Willow gulped.

"I have to bring these up to the bathroom, the others were all wet when Buffy wanted a shower." Owl moved several steps closer to the door of the kitchen.

"I can just imagine how wet." Faith moved over to put her bowl in the sink.

"Well I'm glad everyone's bright and happy this morning." Owl gave a slightly uneven smile as she went to leave the room. "Does anyone need anything from the bathroom before Buffy hogs it for a while?" She checked.

"No, no were fine." Willow shook her head. "Have fun, don't worry about us."

"Well I'm just doing a little research you know but okay, you have fun too." Owl nodded awkwardly and slipped out.

"Holy shit, B's muff diving." Faith couldn't help but laughing.

"Shut up." Willow swung her hand smacking Faith in the arm. "Not one word." She warned.

"Willow is right Faith." Tara looked at the other Slayer. "We don't know that." She tried an uneven frown.

"Please I know I heard hot lovin and if it wasn't you and Red, then it has to be the Goddess Piper." Faith clapped her hands together.

"It could have been my Goddess and Buffy just saying Piper to stop the poor thing hurting herself." Tara offered lamely.

"Or your Goddess my Piperesous." Willow tried to help. "It means wow in Latin." She tried to lie to Faith.

"So you two are trying to convince me it was you and the hot lovin not Owl and B?" Faith gave them an unconvinced look.

"Why would it be Owl and Buffy?" Tara offered the question with a shrug.

"Um hello talk drink of dyke goodness and B who can't keep from twitching in her pants every time Owl walks into a room?" Faith informed them. "This is like my thing to notice."

"Who's noticing what?" Dawn breezed into the room.

"That Faith needs new pants." Willow blurted out the first thing in her head. "We thought maybe shopping."

"Do you wear anything other than leather?" Dawn asked sounding truly shocked as she looked at the dark haired Slayer.

"What's wrong with leather?" Faith dusted off her calf.

"We're going to try her in jeans." Willow continued. "Do you need anything new?"

"Are you sure you should go out? Did Buffy say you could, I mean she likes to know who comes and goes and when." Dawn looked a little uncertain.

"We're going to finish breakfast then see what she says." Willow nodded. "Right Tara, Faith?"

"Whatever you say Red." Faith shook her head and moved to the living room.

"Yes, yes shopping." Tara nodded.

"So was my room okay for you two?" Dawn asked stealing some toast.

"It was perfect." Willow couldn't help but smile. "Were you okay in the spare?"

"Yeah, slept like a log." Dawn nodded. "You slept okay?" She checked.

"Wonderful." Willow looked to Tara and smiled broader and Tara blushed slightly turning to get the juice poured before the teenager could notice.

-x-

Buffy paused at the door to her room rubbing the towel into her wet hair. She didn't know why suddenly she felt this pressure on top of her. When they'd awoke this morning things had gone on like normal, they'd untangled and Owl had volunteered to get her some towels, then she'd been in the shower. Now though, she wasn't even sure if Owl was still in her room and if so she wasn't sure what they were going to say to one another. The pleasure of the night before was still making her feel wobbly on her feet and she wasn't sure if the feeling made her feel better or more off centre. Deciding she had no choice she pushed open the door and walked in and closed it behind her.

"Hey there B." It came therefore as a total surprise to see the dark haired Slayer lying full out on the bed, her head propped up on the pillows.

"Faith." Buffy did a double take. "What's wrong?" She assumed that must be the reason she was here.

"Nothing I don't think." Faith looked left and right and then at the Slayer and shook her head.

"Good." Buffy nodded moving to the dresser to brush out her hair. "So why are you up here?" She asked the obvious question.

"I just you know was feeling kinda nostalgic for the big house." The dark Slayer shrugged.

"Okay." Buffy sat down and brushed her hair.

"Wanted to you know, see if I could help myself by you know surrounding myself with the kinds of smells and things I got used to." Faith braced her hands together behind her head.

"Faith you weren't here that long." Buffy shook her head.

"No, but you know there are things a girl misses." Faith smirked.

"Like?" Buffy watched her.

"Oh, you know, bartering." Faith offered.

"Bartering?" Buffy stopped. "For what and why?"

"Oh you know your bag of chips for an hour in my cell." Faith winked.

"I know that somewhere in there is one of your depraved sexual prison references Faith but I'm not seeing your point." Buffy shook her head.

"I wanna know what the deal was." Faith bounced to sit up.

"What deal?" Buffy looked at her more confused.

"The deal between you and Birdy." Faith's smile was almost predatory.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Buffy stood up. "And if you don't mind I want to get dressed."

"Okay." Faith pushed up. "Though B hey it's cool with me okay?" She pointed out. "Birdy's a cute kid." She crossed to the door in four long strides.

"Who the hell is Birdy and why do I care if you think whatever is cool?" Buffy glared at her.

"Birdy, Owl, poor beat up little potential with the nice bike." Faith clarified.

"Owl who is not a kid as she's almost as old as you." Buffy pointed out. "And I still have no idea what you're talking about."

"Fair enough B." Faith shifted her weight from one hip to the other. "Shame really 'cause I thought for once you might have you know, lived a little." She held the door open.

"Get out Faith." Buffy barked at her.

"Hey don't rip a girls head off B." Faith paused and turned frowning. "You could do worse, she's got balls and skills from what I hear."

"And you just felt the need to come up here and what? Give me your seal of approval, try to edge a little superiority on me?" She accused totally thrown off by how first Faith seemed to know and secondly why the dark Slayer was even bothering to try to be nice.

"You know what fine." Faith shook her head. "I thought for once I might come up here and actually find you smiling, having had someone treat you right for a change." She frowned harder. "But you're still the same stuck up tight ass, even if Piper gave you the ride of your life." The dark Slayer spat out the words harshly stalking out of the door and slamming it hard.

Buffy sat down on the bed putting her head in her hands, she had no idea what had just happened.

"Great can I grab a show..." Piper's voice drifted off as she opened the door and stepped in, the last thing she'd expected was to find Buffy sitting on the bed looking, well like she'd just found the First in her top drawer. "Buffy?" She said in a whisper.

"Owl... yes I'm done with the shower." Buffy didn't turn around trying to compose herself.

"Buffy what's wrong, what..." She glanced behind her at the hall. "Did something happen?" She checked. "Has the shield not worked." She frowned more. "God tell me the First hasn't..." She crossed over and knelt by the bed putting her hands on Buffy's knees without thinking. "Did it hurt you?"

"No, it wasn't the First." Buffy shook her head taking a deep breath. "It was Faith."

"Faith hurt you?" Owl frowned harder.

"She was just being Faith it's fine." Buffy shook her head. "She found out, she must have heard." She looked at the bed and then at Owl.

"Last night?" Owl checked she'd picked up the right vibe.

"Yeah." The Slayer breathed out. "She was making these gross prison references and then when I wouldn't tell her about it got all huffy like I'd done something wrong for not rising to her teasing."

"Want me to go tell her to piss of and that it has nothing to do with her what you do or who you do it with?" Owl offered instantly.

"She's not worth it, she'll just shoot her mouth off more." Buffy shook her head.

"Last night was supposed to make you feel good Buffy, not worse." Owl rubbed her thumb in place on Buffy's thigh.

"It did, I do." Buffy looked up into the potential's eyes. "Do you?"

"Do I?" It was Piper's turn to be a little thrown by a question.

"Do you feel better this morning?" Buffy qualified.

"I did." Owl nodded.

"But not now?" The Slayer blinked.

"Well not if Faith has taken a bazooka to my balloon of happiness no." Owl scowled.

"No, I'm not letting Faith drag me down." Buffy shook her head and rather quickly leaned forward and kissed Owl firmly on the lips. "Last night was amazing."

"It was very, very cool." Piper nodded and pushed up slightly pushing Buffy back towards the mattress, not hard, just exploring if there would be resistance. Buffy felt herself fall back not wanting or able to resist. "I woke up this morning wanting you." Owl admitted beginning to cover Buffy's throat with hot fast kisses.

"Mmmm I want you too." Buffy admitted the ache in her body.

"I was going to come into the shower, but you locked the door." Piper revealed her foiled plan.

"I couldn't be sure it would be you coming in to join me." Buffy laughed remembering how she had hesitating between locking and not locking.

"Well I'm." Owl's eyes flicked to the door. "I'm heading to the shower now." She arched an eyebrow.

"Let's go." Buffy pushed up on her shoulder's urging her to lead the way.

"Sure?" Piper pushed back and grabbed a towel from the chair crossing quickly to the door.

"Yes." Buffy moved over kissing her and then heading for the door. "Screw faith, she's not ruining my mood."

"Oh no, no screwing her, I got you first." Piper grabbed her hand and pulled her off to the bathroom.

-x-

Faith paced back and forth by the curb on the road. This was officially not Summers territory, this was just the street and she was as far away from Summers territory as she could be. She took a hard long draw on her cigarette glaring at the house.

Why had she even bothered? Why the hell was she even here about to go in a blaze of glory next to tight ass Buffy? Here she was trying to find a little benevolent happiness for B and her newfound sexual expression and as usually she got beat down again.

"If the world is ending I should be out partying not taking your shit!" She barked at the house pacing over to lean against the mailbox. "Not taking your shit for sure, taking way too much of it already." She agreed with herself.

"Then why don't you leave?" A male voice from Faith's past asked from directly behind her.

"Hello." Faith turned flicking away the smoke expecting a fight but finding herself face to face with the Mayor. "You're so dead." She pointed out her jaw open.

"Well yes, as blunt and as accurate as ever." He smiled charmingly.

"You're not real. You're that bastard First thing." Faith backed up a bit.

"Faith please." The mayor frowned. "I might not be the person I was, but to tell me I'm not real is a little unnecessarily unkind."

"Sorry." Faith didn't know why she found herself apologizing.

"It's alright, I'm guessing that things aren't that fun in there." He glanced at the house

"No." Faith shook her head. "Look why are you here?"

"Why do you doubt it's because I took the opportunity I could to come and see you?" He smiled at her.

"Because you never lied and that would be a lie. You always had things on the go." Faith pointed out. "Lots of things."

"You know you shouldn't be here don't you." The mayor took a slight step forward, but for some reason didn't actually seem to come any closer than the sidewalk at the front of the house near the mailbox.

"I'm a slayer, I have to be here." She said defiantly standing her ground on the last square of the Summers front walk.

"But you're in danger here, I don't like the thought of that." He shook his head.

"I'm in danger everywhere." Faith cocked her head to one side. "Come on Mr. Mayor, where's my apocalyptic message."

"I just want you to think about leaving Faith, what's going to happen when Buffy is faced with tough choices? Who's going to be the one she sacrifices?" The Mayor stated.

"She's not going to sacrifice anyone. B doesn't work like that." Faith shook her head.

"She won't have faced anything like this before." He pointed out quickly.

"No one has, doesn't mean we're not going to win." Faith smiled.

"But it does mean no one knows how she will act, you're not exactly her favourite person." He countered accurately.

"Hey I never know how I'm going to act so whatever." Faith shrugged.

"But she's their leader, what are you? You're the dispensable slayer that's what." He shook his head sadly adjusting the handkerchief in his blazer pocket.

"I'm a slayer, Buffy is not the only one." Faith pointed out. "You told me that, remember?"

"You are, but you are not their slayer." He nodded back to the house.

"I'm my own slayer." She glanced back. "So come on why are you here?" She egged him on. "You've always got some apocalyptic message for everyone else."

"You don't need speeches Faith you never have." The mayor shook his head.

"No, I don't need anything." The dark slayer confirmed.

"You need to leave." The mayor contradicted.

"And go where?" Faith questioned.

"Away, until this is over." He replied.

"Over? If Buffy wins then there might be a good over, if the First wins it's game over." She reached into her pocket playing with her lighter.

"No one know what the first plans to do with the world Faith, not Buffy nor her ineffective friends and watcher." He offered her a alternative view.

"What do all evils want? Control, power, destruction." Faith pointed out.

"But who knows what role you could fulfil within that?" The mayor's eyes sparkled.

"I know the deal Wilky, the First needs me dead to end the line. There's no place for me on your side." She shook her head.

"But just think Faith, think of the good times we had. Think of all the plans and dreams I know live inside you." He tried again.

"What to go to Disneyland?" Faith actually smiled softly.

"To live outside the restraints of this 'civilized' life." The mayor shook his head.

"Maybe I love this civilized life." Faith heard herself and laughed. "Look this isn't working, you're not going to get me to off myself or kill the others."

"You're not as much fun to play with as you used to be Faith?" The mayor shook his head. "Where's that fire I saw in you, nurtured and loved?"

"I found a way to use it rather than let it eat me alive." She countered.

"It really was a pleasure knowing you Faith." He bowed his head to her slightly.

"Other than the killing and murder, yeah it was cool." Faith admitted hearing her voice go softer.

"But some people deserve to die Faith." The mayor pointed out rationally.

"What was it you used to say?" Faith looked at him. "It was on that plaque that you stuck up right where everyone would have to see it when they came to work every day downstairs." She looked at him seeing nothing. "You know... while the righteous sleep the wicked will find their rest, is that it?"

"You think to much these days Faith, I would concentrate on just surviving." With that the First disappeared.

"Well that pissed you off didn't it." Faith looked around seeing nothing left at all to indicate her visitor was there.

-x-

"I can't deal." Buffy stood beside the phone shaking her head.

"Deal?" Willow questioned with a spoon twirling around in her yogurt.

"With twelve more." She turned and leaned her butt on the table edge. "Where am I going to put them, how am I going to keep them safe?"

"Oh, oh I know." Willow put her hand up. "Tara and I think we worked something out."

"Yeah sorry will I didn't mean that like no one was helping or anything, the shield is just great, well no more than great it's just I mean dealing with the new ones is just added hassle." She apologized looking over at her.

"No, helping more." Willow put her yogurt down and moved over. "Remember Mrs. Scary belly totem." She plucked the wooden statue that was on the side table that she knew Buffy hated. "We were talking, we think we can use it to channel a portable shield. One that we only need to recharge every twenty six hours."

"Please Will no torturing me with grotesque furniture and ornaments." Buffy frowned not really listening.

"Hello slayer girl, ears open zippy lip." Willow moved over. "We make a portable shield, like a cell phone accept it only gets one call and that's no First allowed."

"To keep the person carrying it free from first interruptions?" Buffy wasn't sure she was getting the point

"Or a whole apartment like Xander's." Willow grinned.

"But Will I don't want to have to split you and Tara up just to power out some mystical shields." Buffy shook her head.

"Buffy did you listen to anything I just said?" Willow blinked at her curiously.

"You guys think you can make a portable shield so that we can at least let some of us live something resembling normal lives at Xander's." Buffy paraphrased what she understood.

"Yep that only needs to have its battery changed once every twenty six hours." Willow smiled. "See I knew half your brain was listening."

"But wouldn't one of you need to be where it is?" Buffy frowned.

"Nope, not if it works." Willow tilted her head. "We think it'll work."

"So wait… are you suggesting that we can just put the new SIT's at Xander's, maybe convince say him and Anya to stay there with them and then put this mystical guard over them?" Buffy caught on.

"They'd have to be careful. No incense or other barrier spells could be cast. But we should be able to make it stable." Willow nodded. "Whatcha think? Worth a shot?"

"Of course it is, oh Will." Buffy hurried to the redhead and hugged her. "Wait." She pulled back. "They probably need someone who can take care of themselves there too. I don't want Anya or Xander hurt."

"Faith will kill you if you put her there." Willow laughed. "What about Kennedy? She would be so excited if you gave her some responsibility."

"I'm not sure Kennedy is a wise choice Will." Buffy shook her head thinking of the stupid move that she had pulled leaving Willow alone to be attacked. "There's always Owl I guess." She added frowning.

"No, Buffy she's learned her lesson." Willow saw the flicker. "And Owl isn't healed, she needs to be here. Anyone injured should be." She tried to cover before she said too much.

"She says she's okay, she wants to come out with the others tonight." Buffy shook her head still looking unhappy. "But I really don't know if Kennedy..."

"Can't we at least draw the bloody curtains." Spike grumbled loudly as he crossed through the room having to avoid pools of sunshine that streamed in from the clear windows.

"Spike, we could have brought your blood downstairs." Willow scowled at him.

"Yean well maybe I wanted the walk." He replied sharply. "Maybe I wanted to burn off a little energy that's been building up since walking in here last night to sounds of you and your little witch practicing the art of making babies." Willow stared at him horrified. "Not that I'm saying it didn't help me drop off to sleep." He added grinning, pleased to see the effect he had.

"I'm going to work on the shield." Willow clutched the totem and scowled at him.

"See ya red, I think your little witch needs a hand." He winked salaciously and ginned at Buffy.

Buffy waited until Willow had left before she turned her attention to him.

"If you ever pull that again." She glared at Spike. "I'll do more than leave the curtains open."

"What? Hey it was almost a compliment. It's been a while since I had anyone who could make me scream like that." Spike objected to the admonishment.

"You're sick." Buffy shook her head and moved towards the kitchen.

"What?" Spike hurried after her. "Just 'cause I rib a friend about her and her girlfriend having sex I'm sick?" He demanded.

"You're sick because you probably lurked outside their door..." She grimaced. "Enjoying it."

"Like you probably had your ear to their wall." He countered bitterly.

"I did not." Buffy snapped at him. "I don't need to steal my pleasure from other people."

"Oh no, I forgot you've got a new sex toy to abuse." Spike snarled.

Buffy felt the rage well up inside her fast and hard but she looked at him, feeling her hand curl into a fist before she made herself relax.

"Abuse is your specialty, not mine." She let out a slow breath.

"I bet she doesn't make you feel like I did." Spike pushed close to her, so close that his hair brushed on her forehead

"That's none of your business." Buffy looked into his light translucent eyes.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Almost from out of no where it seemed, the tall figure of Owl was suddenly between Buffy and the vampire, pushing both hands up to his chest to force him back.

"And here she is." Spike snarled as he bounced off the fridge. "Running to the rescue of the one who doesn't need it, running like a puppy dog."

"I'd come running to any woman who's faced in a one to one with you." Owl snapped her eyes cold.

"Especially the one you're shagging." Spike stood up to her.

Owl threw a quick unsure glance in the blonde slayer's direction before looking back at the vampire.

"No, especially one that you're not." She growled.

"I could drink you dry little girl, I've killed slayers before what do you think it would take to kill you?" Spike snarled the comment obviously hitting a nerve.

"More balls than you'll ever have." Owl bit right back

"Bring it on." Spike reached up and poked her.

"You're..." Owl bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, but before continuing her angry retort she glanced at Buffy, dark eyes meeting hazel ones just briefly. She turned back to Spike. "You're so not worth bruising my knuckles on." She shook her head and turned away from him.

"Oh right, trying to impress the lady." Spike barked out a laugh. "Beautiful."

"Go downstairs Spike." Buffy snapped at him.

"Go downstairs now Spike." The echoing voice came from the doorway, in which stood Tara.

Spike looked between them all sticking out his tongue to poke on his closed lower lip. His eyes fell briefly on Buffy and then Owl, staying the longest on Tara as he saw power brewing in the witch's blue eyes.

"Don't forget to video the fun for me." He grabbed his blood off the counter and moved to the basement.

"I'll go check my bike." Owl pushed off to the back door.

"Owl..." Buffy objected very lightly.

"It… it rained last night, she can be grumpy when she gets wet." The tall SIT didn't stop on her way out of the door.

"Everything okay?" Tara asked watching the door close behind her.

"Did you talk to Willow?" Buffy nodded rather unconvincingly. "She had some idea to use the ugly preggers totem."

"The portable shield, yes, we think its possible." She nodded. "What happened here?" She asked not willing to pass on the topic so easily.

"Spike was, he was being Spike and Owl stepped in and then you came in." Buffy summed up. "How powerful will it be?"

"Were working on making it as powerful as it can be. Willow wanted to work possibly to make it a hybrid version of this one, so that as well as mystical it has some physical barrier properties too." Tara explained as from the yard there came the sound of clattering tools and a sharp curse from Owl.

"To keep the SIT's in place?" Buffy's head shot up as she looked out to the source of the curse.

Out in the yard Owl was on her knees beside her bike her head resting forward on the broad leather seat, her arm wrapped tightly around her injured ribs.

"Not so much to keep them in place, but to keep things from getting to them." Tara looked over to the window.

"Great anything will help." Buffy moved towards the door not really listening as she pulled it open and moved outside. "Piper, you need pills." She offered softly moving over to bend down with her.

"I'm okay." Piper pushed back and staggered to her feet, cursing when she had to bend forward to retrieve a fallen spanner from the path.

"You're not okay." Buffy shook her head reaching out to take the wrench from her. "You need to rest." For a moment Owl held on to the metal handle, her eyes cast down, before slowly looking up meeting hazel ones. "Please." Buffy asked her softly.

"I should buy a tarp for her." Owl relinquished the tool slowly.

"I can get you one. I can get you anything she needs." Buffy offered.

"I'll go and get out of peoples way then." With her head slightly down Owl turned to walk back up the path to the door.

"Owl that's not what I meant." Buffy objected.

"No, but its what some people think." Owl walked the short distance to the house.

"No one thinks that, well other than Spike but don't tell me you're counting his opinion?" Buffy tried a half smile.

"I don't count anything to do with Spike." She shook her head. "Oh no, that's not true. I count the many reasons I have to stake him every time I meet him."

"He's jealous." The Slayer whispered.

"He has nothing to be jealous of." Owl shook her head.

"He does." Buffy shook her head back. "I trust you, I don't trust him."

"Thank you." Piper smiled. "So where are my painkillers?" She added rubbing her ribs.

"Come on." Buffy moved after her. "Let's get you settled then I'll take care of your baby." She put her hand gently on Piper's back urging her inside.

-x-

Buffy wasn't surprised to find Tara still in the kitchen once she'd gotten Owl settled upstairs.

"Hey." She moved to the fridge noticing the distracted way Tara was washing the same cup over and over.

"Hey." Tara broke from her repetitive motion and looked up.

"I have to go get a tarp for Owl's bike, is there anything else we need picked up that you know of?" Buffy chugged a small bottle of juice.

"No I don't think so, is she okay?" Tara asked putting the cup down.

"In pain." Buffy shook her head. "I managed to get her to take something and lie down." She frowned. "You know how bad broken ribs are."

"Yes, yes I do." Blonde hair dropped forward briefly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way." Buffy frowned more as she saw the flash of memory.

"No, I know." Tara shook her head and looked up.

"I think most of the shops are empty, can I steal you some apology flowers?" Buffy put forward.

"There really is no need." Tara shook her head again. "Maybe some for Faith might help." She added softly.

"God, I don't know why her and I can't have a civil conversation." Buffy sat down sighing.

"I really don't think she want to cause trouble earlier." Tara spoke up for the other Slayer softly.

"No she did, she heard something last night." Buffy played with the label on the bottle.

"You and Owl." Tara nodded softly.

"I guess everyone heard." She laughed nervously.

"I doubt it, Willow and I only heard because it happened when we were… recovering from, well you know and Faith was awake on guard." Tara explained.

"I'm not sure Faith's intentions were as valiant as you think they were." Buffy shook her head to the past comment.

"I actually think she was happy for you." Tara offered.

"Happy?" Buffy's eyes went wide.

"Buffy, I heard you in the shower this morning. You were singing." She smiled softly.

"I know, I was... am happy." Buffy nodded. "But Faith wouldn't be happy for me, she'd just see it as another way to give me flack."

"Why?" Tara frowned as she asked the short question.

"Because that's all she ever does." Buffy stated immediately.

"It's all she used to do maybe, can't she have changed?" Tara began folding the dishtowel.

"I don't know." Buffy shook her head.

"Easier not to think she might have isn't it?" Tara offered and wasn't surprised when Buffy didn't really comment looking down into her juice. "I'm sorry." Tara apologised softly. "I had no right to say that."

"No, you're right." Buffy shook her head. "I just... I look at her and I can't not see who she was."

"I understand that." Tara nodded.

"All she's ever done was to hurt me." Buffy held blue eyes.

"But maybe this time she's here to save the world." Tara reached out and put her hand on Buffy's

"I guess I owe her an apology." Buffy swallowed.

"Maybe just a word." Tara squeezed her hand.

"Do you know anything we can do for Piper? To help her heal, just to make her more comfortable." Buffy changed to topic of conversation.

"Is she in a lot of pain?" Tara asked softly.

"Sometimes, sometimes she's being a hard ass and won't show it." Buffy admitted.

"Buffy." Tara pulled her hand back and reached up to put another two cups away.

"I'm not being nosey, but, how was last night?"

"It was nice, more than nice." Buffy looked down but she felt her face pulling into a smile. "It was like you said, like living without the pressure."

"And Owl?" Tara nodded and smiled.

"She seemed happy." Buffy nodded. "Maybe too much activity for her ribs." She admitted softly.

"In that case I'm sure I could rustle up something to ease the pain." Tara smiled more.

"Tara, thanks." Buffy looked at her seriously. "For understanding, not freaking out... not... you know."

"Buffy..." Tara moved closer coming down to the Slayer's ear level. "I was away from Willow for eleven months, it's a very long time to be alone." She whispered.

"Were you?" Buffy felt herself gulping at the idea.

"Alone?" Tara asked shaking her head slightly. "Not exactly." She admitted keeping the Slayer's eyes.

"Not exactly?" Buffy held the intense look.

"Not exactly." Tara said again with a nod.

Her first reaction was judgment of course, how could Tara have been with anyone? But then reality settled in, Tara had left and Willow, had in her world just let her go to find a way through the magic that had hurt her so much. Add to that the fact that she'd watched Willow, even with the redhead thinking Tara was dead, starting to gravitate towards Kennedy. Yes, eleven months was along time.

"You and her weren't serious?" She checked.

"No." Tara shook her head. "We only ever kissed once." She explained. "But she made me feel, she made me alive again."

"I'm glad." Buffy reached out and put her hand over Tara's. "I'm super glad you're back with Will but you know, you don't deserve to ever be alone."

"Thank you, neither do you." Tara nodded with the words seeing that Buffy did understand.

"Do you need anything to help Owl? Ingredients?" Buffy checked.

"No it's just a simple incantation, it might make her sleepy." Tara replied.

"Sleepy is great." Buffy nodded. "I'll go get a tarp and some Flower's for Faith."

She looked to the door.

"Perfect, take care." Tara underlined softly. She watched the blonde Slayer pull on a light jacket and tuck her stake away before she went outside.

"Where's she going?" Faith appeared in the dining room doorway the moment Buffy was out of sight.

"To get something for the bike." Tara replied glancing at the dark haired Slayer.

"Is she okay?" Faith checked trying not to sound too interested.

"I think so, she's worried about everything." Tara blinked slowly.

"If she's fine I won't follow her for backup." Faith moved through to loop around to the back door.

"I think perhaps you staying here with the troops might be the best thing." Tara watched her.

"That transmissions going to need to be flushed and reset, the bolts are bent." Faith commented blandly.

"You know about bikes?" Tara pushed up and moved towards Faith.

"A bit." Faith shrugged. "Enough to know that one needs some work, she must have hit the pipes off the curb too. They'll need to be fixed."

"I don't think there are any mechanics left in Sunnydale." Tara frowned.

"If I had some tools and the parts I could do it." Faith shrugged again moving to the fridge. "My cousin used to have an old Harley, we worked on it one summer."

"Well there are lots of tools in the basement." Tara pointed out. "And if you could take a look at her, would you know what parts she needed?"

"Yeah." Faith popped open a mountain dew. "You looking to restore one?"

"It would be nice if we could get her back to scratch for Owl." Tara reasoned.

"Get me the parts and I can see what I can do." Faith nodded. "Though I'm not sure Buffy would be happy to see me fucking around with her girl's bike." She laughed harshly. "Probably think I'm wiring it to blow up or something."

"Would you be?" Tara asked bluntly.

"I got nothing against her." The dark Slayer shook her head.

"Owl or Buffy?" Tara challenged.

"Either of them." Faith eyed her. "What the hell did I do to you this morning? I was only joking earlier, getting a blush out of Red."

"Nothing Faith." Tara shook her head. "I'm just trying to work out why you are here."

"I'm here because I'm a slayer." Faith gave the simple answer.

"Ready to fight and die beside Buffy?" Tara asked bluntly.

"Fuck that, we're going to kick this things ass." Faith growled.

"Why?" Tara paused. "Why do you approach everything aggressively Faith?"

"Because that's how I survive." Faith bit back.

"But we're not a threat to you Faith." Tara pointed out.

"Aren't you?" Faith countered.

"Why would we be?" Tara asked back.

"Because it's the same score it's always been, you don't know the deal okay you weren't here." Faith dismissed her slightly. "Look get the parts I'll work on it, better than listening to the SIT's bitching."

"Faith, why won't you let anyone in?" Tara asked frowning softly.

"You think there's anything there anyone is interested in?' Faith turned back at her.

"Friendship Faith, there's nothing wrong with it." The blonde explained trying to back down a bit hoping Faith would do the same.

"Look Blondie I know you had a really shit go okay, maybe as shit as mine but you beat the odds, you got Willow and the whole sewn up future. Run with it, go for it with all you got." Faith shook her head. "People like me don't make good friends."

"At least one of us could die facing this Faith, nothing about the future is sewn up." Tara shook her head.

"Yeah, and I know I'm going to be the head of the line when it comes kamikaze time." Faith informed her.

"Why would you be?" Tara frowned, that plan of action made no sense to her. If anything they had to focus on keeping Faith and the other SIT's alive to keep the First from getting what it wanted.

"I'm disposable. When push comes to shove and Buffy needs to herd some of us off as bait I know my name will be first off her lips." Faith thought back to her conversation with the major. "Can't say I blame her, she might not hate the next slayer that's called."

"How can someone who appears as confident and as strong as you, be so insecure." Tara shook her head sadly.

"Don't shrink my ass." Faith snarled at her. "Look do you want me to work on the bike or not?"

"Your choice Faith, isn't that the kind of thing one does for friends?" Tara challenged not reacting directly to the intimidating tone in the Slayer's voice.

"You think we're friends?" Faith looked at her, the tone in her voice slipped away, as she looked more confused or surprised.

"Why not?" Tara shrugged her voice even.

"You don't know me." Faith gave her the obvious reason.

"Do I need to?" Tara asked. "Isn't that something we can work on."

"Don't you think knowing me would be part of the whole friendship thing?" Faith leaned against the wall.

"We have time right now." Tara pointed out.

"Why waste your time when you could be up with Red?" Faith didn't give in.

"Because maybe I want to know you." Tara didn't either.

"Then fine, go ahead." Faith moved over defiantly and sat down. "Go on Friend." She put heavy emphasis on the word.

"Coffee?" Tara offered.

"Sure. Black." Faith nodded.

"There are cookies in the jar." Tara pushed up to make the drinks.

Faith hesitated for a moment before she got up picking up the jar and moving back with it, she took off the lid and gulped one down. Tara was quick to make the drinks bringing them over and putting them down gently.

"So it must be hard being here." Tara asked picking out a cookie.

"Makes me miss prison." Faith laughed tightly.

"I bet there pretty similar, right now at any rate with so many women in a small place." Tara nodded.

"Almost as much sex." Faith couldn't help but grin.

"Sorry about the noise." She apologized as she blushed slightly.

"Helped me sleep actually." Faith laughed. "You get used to background noise, it gets so quiet here at night."

"Are you sure, I mean I can do something about the noise." Tara offered.

"No, really." Faith shook her head. "There was thirty five on my cell block. It was noisy."

"You know you can do whatever you want or need to do here don't you?" Tara said softly glancing up at the Slayer.

"What do you mean?" Faith questioned blinking.

"You know what I mean Faith, Willow and I talked about you, about your needs."

"Wait, I so must be getting this wrong." Faith shook her head clearing it. "You and Willow talking about my 'needs'?"

"Willow and I were talking about you, about who you were, what you were like."

Tara explained.

"Sorry, for a second there is sounded like you were offering to buy me a vibrator or have a threesome." Faith laughed and took another cookie.

"No thank you to the threesome." Tara blushed. "I have one of the other though." She smiled coyly.

"Watch out for the shy blonde." Faith grinned. "And don't worry I packed my own." She winked.

"I'm not exactly shy anymore." Tara chuckled and shook her head and picked up another cookie.

"Not from what I heard." Faith teased her.

"Willow just touches me like no one else." Tara explained thinking back to the wonderful night they had shared.

"You're lucky." The dark Slayer admitted.

"Yes, I am." Tara nodded. "Have you ever been lucky?"

"So what did you and Red figure out I need?" Faith asked at the same time.

"Space, activity and sex." Tara chuckled as she answered and heard Faith evading her question.

"Desperately lacking, the bike will keep me busy and everyone has left town so unless I start lining up SIT's..." She gave a firm headshake.

"Willow didn't mention that you leant our way." Tara politely phrased with a smile.

"Blondie, I was your way long before Willow knew there was a way." Faith grinned.

"Really." Tara smirked. "I wish I'd known."

"Why?" Faith took another cookie and dipped it in her coffee.

"Just because." Tara replied. "So you wouldn't consider it with any of the SIT's?"

"This may surprise you but I think most of them are virgins and one thing I've learned about virgins they are emotionally not worth the fun of popping." Faith was bluntly honest. "One night turns into weeks of mess."

"I'm glad you hadn't passed that information on to Willow." Tara laughed softly.

"That's different, I'm talking fun sex you two are forever sex." Faith contradicted.

"That obvious are we?" Tara laughed easing back in her chair.

"Um yeah." Faith laughed. "I can't imagine being where you two are."

"There's no reason you can't be." Tara shook her head.

"My past is a little more speckled than yours." Faith shrugged.

"Past has nothing to do with it." Tara shook her head again.

"It's not just that, who do you know who would put up with my shit?" Faith gulped the cooling coffee.

"Oh I don't know, you have charm that almost balances it." Tara grinned as she appraised the dark Slayer. She might not have known Faith before, but it was obvious from taking with her now there was more of a balance inside her.

"Watch it Missy, I know you're taken so no flirting." Faith teased.

"This is cycling back to the threesome or the vibrator conversation." Tara laughed a little harder

"A girl can hope." Faith gave her a toothy grin.

"See is friendship really that bad?" Tara asked stealing another cookie.

"Don't push your luck." Faith wagged a cookie at her. "I'm just here for the chocolate chips."

"Yeah okay." Tara nodded pushing up. "Go look at the bike, I'll make you another coffee… Friend." She put the emphasis Faith had put on the word earlier but smiled as she turned to put the kettle back on.

-x-


	12. Chapter 12

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Twelve.**

Buffy moved out of the hardware store with the large bag and swung it over her shoulder as she moved. It was eerie being in town now, there was no one left making it seem more like a movie lot than a real place. She'd already made stops at the hardware, the grocery store and the flower shop. Another stop at the pharmacy had let her discover anything of worth had already been stolen. No one could blame her shock when she came around a corner to see a woman a little taller than herself with long brown hair walking down the middle of the street.

Walking with a slight swagger, a small backpack slung over her shoulder and the wires of some form of personal entertainment device trailed up over her brown suede jacket to her ears. She was humming along to the tune she was listening to, paying little if any attention to the shops as she passed them.

"Excuse me." Buffy didn't see the wires and called to her from behind. "Excuse me?" She finally caught up and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Huh?" With a slight jump the individual turned around, pulling one of the wires, dropping a small round earphone down onto her chest.

"Um hi... is there something I can help you with?" Buffy looked her up and down. She looked a little too old to be a potential but she had to be sure.

"You could tell me if any of these places have anyone in them, I could kill for a cold coke." The soft Canadian twang of her accent was unmistakable.

"About the only place in town is my house." Buffy couldn't place why she would be so calm. "Why are you here?"

"You know, thanks for the offer but I'm kinda looking for someone." The brunette smiled.

"Who?" Buffy didn't relent.

"Funny from what I heard about this place it didn't sound like the kind of place that everyone knows everyone else." The other woman arched an eyebrow.

"Look this isn't the place you want to be wandering around, so I suggest you leave while its still light." Buffy gave the cold instruction.

"Thanks for the advice," The taller girl smiled. "But I really can't leave until I find my friend Tara."

"How do you know Tara?" Buffy asked immediately her eyes narrowing.

"My Tara I know because we were..." She paused. "We trained at the same place. I don't know about your Tara."

"My Tara's tall and has red hair." Buffy lied to see what the other woman would say.

"Well good for you, mines not that tall with blonde hair, and if you don't mind I wanna find a building with a telephone book, so I can at least look for a number where she might be." The Canadian looked around.

"The phones don't work." Buffy shook her head. "Where do you know her from?"

"Look, I don't know who you are, you know maybe police or something, but I really need to find Tara Maclay and if you cant help me, it kinda means you're hindering me." Her voice was more firm.

"Tell me your name." Buffy pulled out her cell phone. "I could make your search easier."

"I'm Zoë Hanlon." The other woman gave the information easily.

Buffy nodded waiting till the phone got picked up and then turned having a brief conversation. At one point looking very much as if she was being told off for something.

"Let's go." She snapped it closed and moved down the street. "Tara's worried that I'm letting you wander the streets."

"Hey, hey why am I going anywhere with you, I mean no offence, but I need to find Tara or a Buffy Summers, who she might be..." Zoë stopped. "My Tara is your Tara?"

"I'm Buffy." She turned urging her to hurry.

"Oh, Buffy, hi." Zoë put on a little burst of speed. "I'm Zoë."

"How do you know Tara?" Buffy questioned as they walked.

"Italy." Zoë replied. Her long toned legs kept easily up with the Slayer, as bright green eyes flickered up to the sidewalk ahead and then back to the Slayer.

"This isn't a great time to visit Sunnydale." Buffy was honest.

"Oh I'm not visiting." Zoë shook her long hair and shifted the pack up a little on her fairly broad shoulder.

"Then what are you here for?" Buffy didn't stop her questions.

"I've been sent, by the coven." Zoë explained. "You know about the coven don't you." She frowned briefly wondering exactly what she knew and cursing herself a little for not checking before hand.

"Yes, the coven." Buffy nodded.

"Phew, could have blown something then." Zoë gave a childish grin. "Yeah anyway the coven sent me."

"Do they have news?" Buffy tried not to get too excited by the possibility.

"I have a book for a Mr. Giles." Zoë pointed to her backpack. "And a few things I need to talk to Tara about."

"I'm afraid the house is overfull with Potentials but you're welcome to join us." Buffy motioned down another road.

-x-

Buffy made it up to the door and pulled it open ushering Zoë in. Just waiting inside the doorway was Tara looking a little anxious.

"Tara." Zoë moved forward and hugged her immediately. "Damn, you are hard to find." She laughed as Tara held on tightly to the taller woman.

"I didn't know you'd be trying." She said softly rubbing the other woman's back slightly before leaning away.

"Neither did I, but I'm not the coven's messenger." The Canadian laughed lightly. "Well now I am."

"You volunteered didn't you." Tara looked at the tall brown haired woman and shook her head.

"Of course I did, Italy's no fun with just me and Pascal." Zoë laughed swinging off her pack.

"Oh Zo." Tara hugged her again. "If I'd hung 'police do not enter all' around the area and had armed guards you'd still have volunteered."

"Naw, then I'd have already come to see what all the shit was about." Zoë laughed and hugged her back. "And you'd still be laughing at me."

"You are just delivering messages and then leaving right?" Tara looked into dark green eyes.

"We have lots to talk about." She admitted her voice more serious.

"Do you want a shower or anything?" Tara checked. "Or is it a case of finding a quiet corner and catching up?"

"Quiet corner, then I can indulge in a meal and a shower." Zoë nodded. "Thankfully Buffy found me wandering or I'd still be out there."

"No worries, I'm going to go put this stuff away." Buffy rattled the bag she was carrying.

"Faith is out in the yard Buffy, she went out a few hours a go just to take a quick look at the bike." Tara explained trying to give the Slayer a logical reason to leave them alone.

-x-

Giles sat in an armchair, flicking through what looked like the most ancient book to have survived into the 21st century.

"So what does it say?" Buffy pressed him as she paced.

He frowned occasionally and flicked further in, only to read a paragraph and flick back.

"It's complicated." He replied pushing his glasses up his nose.

"How complicated?" Buffy stopped in front of him.

"Very." The Watcher replied.

"Okay Giles, more talking less with the boring use of complicated over and over." Buffy growled at him. "Does it say anything we can use?"

"Undoubtedly." Giles nodded. "If I can find it."

"Find what?" Buffy felt like screaming at him, his calm demeanor driving her crazy.

"Buffy this book as innocuous as it may seem is actually not." He closed it and looked at the Slayer. "It is both a history book, a spell book and a book of prophecy."

"And?" Buffy pressed more.

"Though one can sit her and read it cover to cover, one would learn nothing from it." Giles explained. "Instead one needs for example to read the paragraph at the top of page 29 and then the last paragraph on page 78," He flicked between the two texts.

"Giles are you trying to purposely be a totally annoying git?" Buffy accused using a word she'd heard from the Watcher once or twice.

"No, I am trying to explain by combining the two paragraphs you will discover the words of an ancient channeling spell and in the paragraph on page 3 you get the details of the ritual needed to make the spell work." Giles explained.

"A spell we can use against the First?" Buffy sat down checking.

"No, no, that is an example Buffy." Giles shook his head. "Of how the book is written. Now the hidden content suggests that there is a spell in this book that may give us something against the First. But as I said I have to find it to learn it."

"So you need time." Buffy stood up again.

"Well the coven have studied extensively and they have narrowed down the task." He tried to be positive.

"Okay, I'll leaver you to it." Buffy pushed up. "I have to go check on Owl." She stopped. "Is she a witch Giles, she doesn't seem like one. My senses aren't twitching."

"Well I don't understand why she would be at the coven in Italy is she weren't, but she is not a witch like Willow." The watcher replied.

"Or Tara." Buffy nodded.

"I'm not sure we know what kind of a witch Tara is." Giles stated honestly.

"You should talk to her, she can explain to you." Buffy didn't want to be the one to tell him Tara's business.

"Well it is obvious that she has been training." Giles put forward as he tapped the small sticker on the inside cover of the book. "I know this woman." He underlined her name. "And the coven she runs."

"The one in Italy, that both her and Zoë are from." Buffy nodded.

"Yes." Giles nodded. "And believe me, talking to Tara about exactly what she has been doing is high on my list."

-x-

Willow rubbed at her neck and yawned. She could hardly believe that she'd fallen asleep doing research, especially since Tara hadn't even been up to cover her over which was how she usually woke up.

"Hi." She found the Slayer in the dining room. "Where's Tara?" She questioned yawning again.

"The garden." Buffy glanced up from her book taking a small bite out of her apple.

Willow nodded and moved through to the back yard pulling open the door.

"Woo, woo Will." Buffy raced after her pulling the door closed before Willow could step out.

"What are you doing?" Willow blinked at her in disbelief.

"Tara's kinda busy right now." Buffy replied nervously.

"Busy doing what?" Willow woke up more.

"Talking, meeting, with someone." Buffy explained badly.

"Who? She shouldn't be out there on her own." Willow pushed closer to the door.

"No, no." Buffy took a sideways glance out of the window to see Tara sat forward in a sun chair frowning slightly with Zoë next to her talking through a point.

"Buffy, I want to go see Tara." Willow followed her view. "Who the hell is that?" Her eyes went wide when she saw the tall brunette.

"That's Zoë." Buffy winced slightly. "Zoë Hanlon, she's a Canadian."

"Why is she here? Tara didn't mention anyone was coming." Willow pushed.

"I'm not sure Tara knew, but she is from Italy." Buffy explained more.

"I want to go out there." Willow stared at her best friend.

"They're talking Will." Buffy frowned slightly as to make matters worse, Tara pushed up off her chair and stalked away from the taller girl shaking her head.

"She's upsetting her." Willow pointed out watching as Buffy was.

Things got a thousand times worse when the Canadian followed up to stand and moved over coming behind her and putting her hands on Tara's shoulders. As they continued to watch Tara turned, her head still shaking as she pressed her body into a tight embrace with the taller woman.

"She has messages from the coven." Buffy watched trying not to read anything into what was going on.

"Buffy get out of my way." Willow pushed harder on the Slayer.

"Willow come on they're only talking." Buffy tried again when from the garden there came Tara's voice, sterner than Buffy had ever heard it.

"GO!"

The screaming demand came with the blonde pointing at the garden gate.

"Tara." Willow managed to catch Buffy off guard and scramble through the door.

"I'm not going anywhere." The Canadian stayed firm.

"Willow?" Tara's attention was briefly split as she turned to the open door and the fast approaching redhead.

"Are you okay?" Willow turned a harsh eye at Zoë.

"When did you wake up sweetie?" Tara took a light step over to the redhead and reached for her hand.

"Just a few minutes ago." Willow took it. "What's going on?" She looked at the other woman.

"Hi Willow, I'm Zoë." The Canadian extended her hand. Tara frowned a little at the Canadian's typically gregarious greeting.

"Tara asked you to go." Willow didn't reach her hand out, falling back onto the comment she'd heard.

"Yeah, she did, but she didn't really mean it, did you Tare?" Zoë blinked dark green eyes at the blonde. Tara just blinked blue eyes back at her, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Tara?" Willow looked at her waiting for an answer.

"You need to eat, and have a shower." Tara looked at Zoë. "We can talk about this then." She offered an alternative.

"I'll get Buffy to show me around." Zoë looked up to the door where the blonde was standing and moved off.

"Tara, who is she? What's going on?" Willow turned to her fiancée immediately.

"That's Zoë, she's..." Tara frowned gently. "A friend from the coven in Italy."

"Why is she here?" Willow continued the barrage of questions. "Why are you upset?"

"M sent her, with a book for Mr. Giles and some messages for me, some more research, some new spells to become proficient in." Tara replied glancing at the house.

"She's a witch?" Willow clued in for the first time surprised. "She doesn't seem..." She stopped herself.

"She's worked hard, very hard, to become what she is." Tara explained looking back at her lover. "She is a witch. A witch who needs to go home, away from the danger."

"But if the coven sent her..." Willow didn't know why she was going against her initial thoughts to get the Canadian far away from Tara.

"I don't know why they did that." Tara's blue eyes narrowed. "I need to talk to M." She raised a hand and massaged her temple.

"They wouldn't have sent her if she wasn't ready." Willow argued, she knew how coven's worked, they were cautious at best.

"Ready?" Tara frowned. "Willow, Zoë can barely float a pencil." She couldn't help the bite in her voice

"Then I don't understand." Willow looked back to the house. "Why would she be studying with a coven in Italy?"

"To learn, to focus." The blonde grumbled upset with the turn of events. "To help her."

"But if she can't float a pencil she's not worth all the work." Willow shook her head. "Giles wouldn't even let me read spells when I couldn't float the pencil."

"Willow isn't not about what someone can't do, it's about what they can do. Zoë needed to learn a lot about temperance and patience, she has a gift, it's just a gift that needs time to develop." She explained more. "What I don't understand is why she's here? No, not even that." Tara paused. "Why M wants her to stay here?"

"You should call her then." Willow tried to be supportive. "Maybe Giles knows."

"I could ask him." Tara frowned obviously troubled.

"Let's go talk to him." Willow nodded squeezing her hand.

"No, no I need to just..." Tara stayed in place taking a breath. "I just need to hold you." She looked at her lover.

"Oh baby." Willow moved to her quickly hugging her tight.

"The book, that M sent Giles, 'Il libro di magia di combattimento', do you know what that is Willow?" Tara whispered holding her back tightly.

"No." Willow shook her head lightly.

"It's an old Italian text translates to 'The book of combat magic'." Tara offered. "M has two of her most trusted colleagues working on a translation of it most of the time, it's a book of great power Will, but a book of destruction." She frowned harder.

"Why would she send it here?" Willow's eyes went wide.

"I don't know." Tara shook her head. "Even in all my training, I was never allowed to learn anything from it or to even touch it, read it."

"But she let your friend fly all this way with it." Willow questioned seriously.

"Exactly." Tara sighed.

"We should go talk to Giles." Willow nodded.

"Can we go and sit together Willow, I - I just want to sit with you for a while." She whispered.

"Okay baby." Willow hugged her again.

-x-

Zoë was peering into the mirror, a towel loosely held around her body when the door suddenly pushed open.

"Hello." She turned a bit startled when a tall dark haired woman pushed in.

"Hello, and lock." Faith stopped and didn't bother to check her slow appraisal of the tall woman before her. "That is, busy house you should use it." She turned and pointed to the small metal catch.

"I thought it was." Zoë laughed. "Hi, I'm Zoë." She stuck out her hand. "Hanlon, I'm a friend of Tara's."

"Faith." The dark slayer extended her hand and shook the other woman's. "Nice tat." She nodded looking at the tattoo that was just visible in the mirror on Zoë's shoulder.

"Oh yeah." She turned immediately without thought to let Faith see the Ying-Yang symbol. "You got any?"

"That'd be telling, I never show a girl my tats on a first date." Faith laughed then pushed up her sleeve a little.

"Nice wire, not your usual." Zoë leaned and pulled up the towel to reveal the enormous wolf on her thigh. "My real treasure."

"Wow nice work." Faith squatted down to get a closer look. "Must have hurt like a bitch."

"The ears and the back leg bled like I was in a war but it wasn't too bad. Worse part was the constant wiping, I was over three hours in the chair." The Canadian admitted not even thinking about the fact a relative stranger was inspecting her thigh.

"Still looks good." Faith nodded and pushed back up.

"Thanks." Zoë nodded. "So you desperate for in here? I can get dressed if you show me another room."

"No, I'm fine, I was just trying to avoid a bunch of SIT's." Faith waved her hand. "You finish up, take your time."

"SIT's?" Zoë questioned picking up her toothbrush continuing on with what she was doing anyway.

"Slayers in Training, boy you sure as hell didn't know what you were walking into did you?" Faith replied with a smirk.

"Not at all." Zoë shook her head turning with the toothbrush. "I just know something big is going on and I want to help."

"Yeah that's great, so when are you hoping on a plane out of here?" Faith asked seriously.

"I'm not." Zoë started brushing her teeth. "You're stuck with me I'm afraid."

"You're here, you don't know why, or what's going on and you're staying?" Faith arched her eyebrow. "Are you certifiable?"

"Canadian." She gave a wide toothy grin. "Got my little blue hard hat and I'm ready to spread peace."

"Same thing then." Faith laughed.

"I see you've dealt with Canadians before." Zoë grinned leaning down to rinse.

"A couple." Faith nodded. "I wouldn't offer to help but I might drown you."

"I'm okay with brushing my teeth." Zoë laughed lightly. "Though you could tell me where I can get something to eat?"

"I meant the shower." Faith winked. "Kitchen's the best place, though boy you should have got here earlier, the vultures probably got the best stuff."

"So you'd drown me in the shower? Is that a very nice housewarming?" Zoë turned back to her. Her voice amused and not at all offended.

"Nah, only if the next ship load of SIT's get dumped here and only then because we'll run out of room and well have to us the shower to sleep at least two of them." Faith laughed happy the girl had a sense of humor.

"That's a good thing, I usually expected my shower mates to wash my hair not off me." Zoë grinned and turned back to rinse off the toothbrush.

"Did we find you a place to throw your gear yet?" Faith asked.

"Not yet. Buffy herded me up here." Zoë shrugged.

"Well I think there's a cot or two left over in the basement, I would say join my in my room, but I'm bunking down on the floor in he lounge, so believe me grab a cot!" Faith chuckled.

"How many are in the basement?" Zoë appraised.

"Do you know I don't even know." Faith shook her head.

"I'll bunk in anywhere, I'm versatile." Zoë shrugged.

"Yeah that's right, give you an ice cube tray and hell you can probably fashion an igloo right?" Faith grinned.

"No, but I make a mean mixed drink." Zoë laughed at the bad stereotype.

"Great, cause most of the SIT's aren't legally old enough to drink." Faith backed up to the door. "I'll let you get on with it." She put her hand on the handle.

"Nice to meet you Faith." Zoë turned and gave her a long smile.

"You to Maple leaf." Faith winked and slipped out.

-x-

Buffy saw the small group gathered wince when Giles slammed the book on the coffee table.

"But Giles..." She tried to object but was cut off by the Englishman's glare.

"It's useless." Giles pushed the book away. "I would apologize," He glanced up vaguely in Tara's direction but scowled. "But I'm not going to, I can't just pick this damnable book up and come up with something life saving, it's taken decades just to get the contents ordered and filed."

"I can try to scan for specific types of references." Willow offered to him.

"There's no time." Giles growled.

"M narrowed down the reference." Zoë pointed out not wanting to cause trouble.

"Yes, she might have narrowed it down Miss. Hanlon, but there are still 247 pages that could be a part of the reference I need." Giles pointed out staring at the book again as if it were its fault.

"Yes, but the reference might stand alone." She argued. "M is convinced it must, none of the other's couple with it."

"What is the reference?" Tara asked hating the level of tension in the room.

Giles snatched up the book and flicked to the page.

"Il esiste ciò può fare il il e ritorno a. Nello spirito, nella carne, lo sguardo alla superficie di rivelare la forza interna." He read in not quite fluent Italian.

"Hello which means what?" Faith growled from her chair. "Rigatoni with extra sauce?"

"The weapon exists that can make the first the last and return order to chaos. In spirit, in flesh, look to the surface to reveal the inner strength." Tara translated for everyone in the room.

"So there's a spell in that book that can beat the First?" Buffy questioned.

"But it looks like a long book." Kennedy spoke up from her place. "How can we find one spell in all of that?"

"Um Giles, it says weapons not spell." Faith looked at them all disappointedly.

"It's a spell book Faith." Giles frowned in her direction.

"Combat magic to be precise." Zoë added.

"Yeah um so don't you think maybe a combat magic guy would have known of some magically made weapon that kills our big bad?" Faith glanced at Zoë.

"Then why not just say go here for great big honking supernatural slaying thing?" Xander chipped in

"Then the first could go and get it doofus." Faith laughed at him.

"Even if you're right." Buffy looked at the other Slayer. "Without knowing what it is or where it is how does it help us?" She looked back at Giles.

"Could you try a locater?" Zoë looked at Tara. "If it is a weapon it has to have a signature."

"But I'd have to know what we're trying to locate." Tara frowned. "Giles what else is there on the page?"

"Nothing really, the text goes on, Foggiato nella forma corporea col ventilatore di cinque, né altalena né lo sciopero né il parry né lo scopo." He stopped as he turned a page.

"Again with the what?" Faith stood up.

Tara frowned a little as she focused to translate it.

"Fashioned in corporeal form with the fan of five, neither swing nor strike nor parry nor aim." She said and then looked at Giles. "Or at least that's close." She added when he didn't challenge her.

"Clearly suggesting a spell of sorts." Giles quickly followed up her translation.

"Giles since when do you fashion spells?" Buffy shook her head.

"And spells are non corporeal." Willow added. "I'm with Faith I think it's a weapon or at least we should look at both options."

"Look where though?" Kennedy pushed her point.

"Italy?" Willow offered.

"If it was in Italy M would know it." Zoë shook her head.

"Could I see the book Mr. Giles." Tara asked politely. "What about this?" She glanced at the text and read allowed. "Once forged will gravitate to the mouth with demons as its guard." She paused. "I think I got that right, Una volta forgiato graviterà alla bocca con I demoni come la sua guardia." She read out looking at Giles for confirmation.

"My Italian never was that good." He admitted glancing down.

"Sounds like the Hellmouth." Buffy smiled. "Which means it's here."

"Or any of the other several dozen that exist." Anya pointed out.

"But if the First is here wouldn't it be here to find the weapon and protect itself?" Buffy argued.

"I suppose that's logical." Giles nodded.

"It could be any type of weapon right?" Faith stood up suddenly.

"Well there is that line about fan of five, but I can't think of a weapon that has five anything's." Kennedy shrugged.

"B, I got to go out I'll be back." Faith looked at the other Slayer moving towards the door.

"Go, we're in a meeting Faith you can't just go." Buffy frowned.

"I have to... I need to check something." She pulled open the door.

"Check something? Like what?" Buffy found herself pacing after her.

"Look..." She waited till they were in the hall away from the powwow in the master bedroom. "Early it came to me as the Mayor and there's this staff at his office that I mentioned and poof the First went away. I want to go check it out."

"That's a bit of a jump isn't it? The First pops up and disappeared when it likes." Buffy shook her head.

"I don't know. I just I need to go look." Faith shrugged. "What can it hurt?"

"You, won't the First have this thing guarded if it knows how important it is?" The blonde Slayer pointed out.

"Not if it doesn't think we have a clue." Faith reasoned. "He kept it out in the open, right under everyone's noses."

"Take someone with you." Buffy pushed.

"I can go with her." Tara was suddenly in the hall with them.

"Fine." Faith nodded not wanting to argue. "Let's just get this done."

"Wait-wait, no way," Buffy shook her head. "What is Willow going to say about this?" She shook her head more aggressively.

"I told her I had to go somewhere." Tara replied cutting off the reason to deny her request.

"See its cool B." Faith walked down the hall. "I need to check this out."

"You know I can handle Uber vamps Buffy, it's okay." Tara whispered softly as she hurried after the other Slayer.

-x-

Faith flicked on the wide beam flashlight as they moved through the broken front doors of the Mayor's office. The marble floors were littered with papers but other than that everything seemed fine. It was likely there had been some looting but all in all the building had got away with little to no damage.

"It's in the back atrium." Faith relayed to Tara as watched the witch's flashlight appraising the area.

"It's very quiet." Tara admitted as she stepped over an upturned telephone. "That must have happened so quickly."

"Yeah, the whole town seems deserted." Faith nodded.

Pushing open some double doors. The interior of the atrium was vaguely lit by the glass ceiling that let in the day's fading light. Tara stepped to follow Faith,

"Airy." Tara glanced around and picked up a potted palm, putting it back on its base as she watched Faith.

"Matter of days, hours to have everyone clear out." The dark slayer nodded. "Well definitely looted." She looked at the large glass display case that was broken open, the stand within empty. "Good thing Wilky never left anything he loved out in the open where dirty hands could touch it."

"So it wasn't in there?" Tara frowned.

Faith leaned down running her finger along the bottom edge of the stone base until she found a switch. She stepped back as the stone opened up like two doors and revealed a long staff inside.

"He let me see it once, used to say if I was good he might give it to me one day."

She laughed.

"I think you've been good." Tara encouraged.

"Then come to Faith." She reached in gripping her hand around the metal molded hand shaft in the middle. "Oh she's nice." She took it out and twirled it.

Just as the dark haired Slayer rested its weight in her hands twirled it their came the crescendo of panes and panes of shattering glass as five deformed figures dropped through the roof landing in a haphazard circle around the girls.

"We got company." Faith twirled it again moving closer to Tara. "Guess we find out quick if this is the good stuff."

"I'm hoping it is, there aren't many trucks to throw around." Tara frowned at the Ubers.

Faith found that she could hold the middle grip with both hands, one up one down as she charged forward at two of them and spinning it with her body she was as shocked as the Ubers when two blades shot out the bottom ends and decapitated them. "Oh yeah, I like it." She swung back and the blades retracted. She gripped and re-gripped her hands realizing it was the pressure that brought out the end blades.

Tara whispered a short spell and sent two of the large potted trees crashing into a vampire pushing it back and off from its steady advance.

Quickly Faith jumped over to two others, battling with them for a moment before she decapitated a third and used the blunt wooden end to stab into the second staking it.

"You need help Blondie?" Faith twirled it with one hand in a controlled arc.

"No, I got it." Tara shook her head and as she did so, one of the large broken panels of glass flew through the air cleanly removing the last vampire's head from its shoulders turning it to ash instantly.

"So what you think?' Faith played with it for a bit, making the blades snap in and out.

"I think we should get it back to the house, before news spreads." Tara admitted.

"Definitely." Faith retracted the blades and bent down into the cabinet finding a leather sheath for it she slipped it in.

-x-

Faith did another spin showing them how the blades worked. Her audience was completely captivated.

"I think its pressure. That's what I figured out so far." She tossed it for Buffy to have a look.

"Are you sure there isn't a hidden catch?" Giles asked watching as the dark haired Slayer tossed the weapon. Buffy looked carefully at the long staff inspecting it from end to end.

"There's no trigger." She shook her head.

"Who cares it blows through Ubers like butter?" Faith sat down next to Zoë who was watching everyone.

"Where did you have your hands?" Buffy asked the other Slayer to show her.

"Under over grip." She reached out putting her hands on the smooth metal centre. "Then squeeze, each hand sends out the opposite blade.

"We'd be better putting her through her paces in the yard, less things to damage."

Buffy offered.

"You two go look at it, we'll do research see if there are any reference to it or it's marking." Giles nodded.

"Tara made some rubbings of it or something." Faith nodded.

"Magical etchings." Tara smiled and shook her head as both Slayers got up. Kennedy pushed up too.

"Can SIT's come?" Kennedy asked looking between Buffy and Faith.

"Yeah, but everyone stay back we don't want to get anyone hurt by accident." Buffy nodded.

With a mumble of agreement the Slayers and potentials and slayers slipped out of the room, leaving Willow, Tara, Giles, Andrew and Zoë in the room. Dawn hung in the door way obviously undecided where to go. Finally deciding to take a seat next to Tara.

-x-

Buffy waited until everyone was a fair distance away from her in a circle before she gripped the staff and began experimenting. She kept trying to use the grip as Faith had instructed originally but nothing happened, not sure if it was just a matter of getting familiar with the weapon she started to do some more complex moves.

"It's got nice weight." Buffy commented as she did some other staff moves, swinging and bracing it. "Got nice..." She spun it in front of her, edging out her grip to go hand over hand and when she brought it to a sharp stop she almost dropped it when five layers of round blades spun out forming a shield around the middle staff.

"Wow that never happened to me." Faith made an impressed noise.

"Wish I knew how I did it." Buffy moved it back and forth without the blades contracting. "Nifty shield though." She twirled it harder and snapping it to a stop was surprised when they didn't retract. "Really wish I knew how to undo it." She held it in one hand and dropped it to the side tapping the edge on the ground. In a quite whoosh the blades all fell back into the staff invisible. "Oh cool." She swung it up again making the blades come out and the retracting them to confirm to herself she knew the trick involved.

"Great as a shield but I'm not jumping up and down for its weapon potential." Kennedy commented.

"What you don't like the idea of being able to protect?" Buffy swirled it again moving quickly over to Kennedy and swinging it down at her in a controlled arc wasn't as surprised this time when just the end blades shot out like axe heads.

The potential took a step back.

"I think it responds to need... somehow." Buffy looked at Faith. "Smart weapon."

"Well that's a turn out for the books." Faith arched an eyebrow.

"Try more moves." Buffy flicked it again feeling the blades retracting before she handed it to Faith. "I can't get it to do the straight blades you had." She admitted finally.

"Can't we try it?" Kennedy asked quickly.

"Sure." Faith handed it to her. "Give it a go. Can't hurt right." She looked at Buffy who shook her head.

Kennedy held it tentatively before she tried to twirl it and snapped it a couple of time without anything happening. She even tried to grip and pressure the middle but no blades came out.

"It's broke." She handed it back to Faith.

"Or it only works for Slayers." Buffy looked at Faith.

"That would make it super smart." Faith whispered.

"Well if it's some super First evil killing weapon." Buffy shrugged. "It'd have to be right?" She watched Faith grip her hands and the blades pop out.

"Woo this is well out of the normal league." Faith looked at the weapon in her hand. "Damn I wish Wilky had shown me this years ago."

"For you to do what?" Buffy gave her a stare.

"Give it to you so you could save the world." She said though her voice oozed with sarcasm.

"You're funny." Buffy growled at her. "He probably didn't give it to you because you would have cut your own arm off."

"Or yours." Faith winked.

-x-

Willow shifted the book on her lap looking sideways at Tara who was right next to her.

"When did you meet her?" She asked quietly so no one else would hear her.

"Willow not here." Tara whispered back.

"It was just a question." The redhead turned back to her book.

"No love it wasn't, it was the beginning of a discussion, a discussion that you have every right to want, to need even, but not here." Tara glanced at her lover, smiling softy.

"I don't know it's a discussion, I just know you two are very..." Willow hesitated. "Chummy."

"We are." Tara glanced up and looked at Zoë. "I care about her."

"A lot?" Willow couldn't stop the question.

"I think we need drinks." Tara suddenly pushed up and then took Willow's hand. "Will and I will go and sort out drinks for everyone." She encouraged the redhead to stand and Willow anxiously followed her.

"Keep reading, we'll be back." She pushed out after the blonde into the kitchen.

"This is better." Tara turned and looked at Willow brushing locks of red off her lover's shoulder. Willow nodded softly waiting for her to continue. "Right, okay, over to me." She drew in a breath. "Zoë and I met in Italy." She began turning slightly and backing off from Willow.

"Yes." Willow watched her with a nod.

"When I was, very, very unhappy." Tara turned and looked at the redhead. "We spent time together, I learned a lot about her, and she learned a lot about me."

"Oh my, you mean..." Willow's eyes went wide and her lip shook instead of finishing.

"No, no, Willow we never..." Tara moved quickly back reaching out to put her hand on Willow's arm.

"Oh good." Willow breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh I'm sorry that was unfair, I mean you could have, you were allowed... we weren't together, I'd hurt you and she seems nice, you wouldn't be with anyone not nice."

"We kissed Willow." Tara couldn't keep this from the other woman. "And only once, nothing more, just kissed and held hands. She used to hold me after my nightmares." She explained the extent of their relationship.

"Do you love her?" Willow bit her lip as she heard the explanation.

"Yes." Tara nodded. "I love her like I love Buffy, Dawnie and Xander. Not how I love you." She pointed out firmly.

"Thank you." Willow leaned forward hugging her tightly.

"Thank you?" Tara leaned her head against Willow's and held her tightly back.

"For telling me." Willow kissed her cheek.

"I'm sorry I waited until she appeared." Tara shook her head.

"No, no, you just kissed." Willow pulled back a little. "She's your friend."

"She is." Tara nodded. "And you're my fiancée."

"Did you tell her that?" Willow asked the question before she thought about it.

"That we're engaged?" Tara checked.

"Yes." Willow nodded. "I was just wondering, she's only been here a few hours probably not yet. Which is fine, she might just be happy for you, being your friend."

"Willow we've not exactly told anyone yet." Tara pointed out smiling softly.

"Buffy and Dawn." Willow laughed more. "Okay. What do you want to get everyone for drinks?"

"Well maybe." Tara paused and looked at her lover. "How about champagne?"

She smiled slowly.

"Alcohol?" Willow was surprised.

"It's traditional when toasting good news." She added realizing Willow hadn't caught on.

"You want to tell them all?" Willow looked at her wide-eyed.

"It's a day for good news." Tara nodded slightly.

"We should get all the slayers and SIT's in too." Willow grinned.

"Good idea, I'll get the champagne." Tara leaned in and kissed her cheek

-x-

Owl tried not to look uncomfortable about the being last on in the room as she eased the door closed and looked around the large group of people. Unlike when she had gone to rest there was an air and buzz of excitement about the whole house.

There was an assortment of cakes and cookies on the table and oddly enough a range of empty plastic glasses. At the head of the dining room table stood Willow and Tara, the redhead looking slightly nervous, where as the blonde had an air of control about her.

"Come on where's the drinks?" Faith jeered a little, she'd seen the bottles of champagne on the side, and though was slightly confused about the bottles, figured it was Tara's way of lifting everyone spirits with the discovery of the magic mystery weapon.

"Drinks?" Buffy looked over at the bottles. "Dawn you're having apple juice." She looked at her sister. Looking to see Owl had no where to sit she stood up. "Owl, take my chair, you shouldn't be up." She held it out for the SIT.

"Thank you." She smiled slightly and eased down realizing it would be more of a scene if she refused.

"Actually Buffy." Tara spoke softly and looked at the Slayer. "I think maybe Dawn is allowed champagne just this once." She went on. The Slayer looked at them waiting for her to explain. Clearing her throat a little she squeezed Willow's hand. Willow nodded grinning widely.

"As all of you have heard, or even seen, today saw the discovery of a weapon, a weapon we believe will help us in the battle that is to come." She took a small breath. "Which in itself is cause for great smiles." She looked at Faith. "But…" She paused again and glanced at Willow. "Are you sure?" She mouthed.

"Yes." Willow held her hand tighter trying to avoid Kennedy who was in the far corner looking more and more angry.

"We also thought that, though many of you don't know us well, to give you all, especially those of you who do, an extra boost." She smiled proudly. "Willow and I are engaged." She almost whispered.

"As in getting married?" Anya asked immediately.

"Yes." Tara turned to look at her.

Unexpectedly she leaned and smacked Xander in the chest.

"I bet she doesn't leave Willow at the alter, I bet they have a lovely wedding." She glared at him before turning back. "I'm very happy for both of you, I hope we aren't all killed now even more so we can be at your wedding."

The front door slamming and the disappearance of Kennedy punctuated Anya's words.

"That's great news Red, Blondie." Faith nodded at both of them. "So pop the cork already." She added grinning.

"Tar, that is fantastic." Zoë got up and moved over giving her a big hug. "See I told you it could be storybook." She whispered to the blonde.

"Yeah, yeah." Dawn bounced up from her chair and ran over hugging Willow. "This is so cool."

"Yes, yes you did." Tara whispered back holding on for a long moment.

"You're one lucky woman Willow." Zoë pulled back smiling moving over when Dawn was finished to hug the redhead.

"Thank you." Willow hugged her surprised.

"Champagne." Giles was smiling, even though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I can't tell you how happy I am." The Watcher moved over and passed a bottle to Tara.

"Baby?" Tara wrapped her hands around the neck of the bottle waiting for Willow to put hers over them. Willow did so grinning.

"Ah for God sake do this right," Faith grabbed a bottle and shook it violently flipping the top off she sent a wave of spray over everyone at the end of the table. Tara gave a squeak and felt Willow arms tugging the bottle they held up and down their thumbs pushing the cork out to send a shower of sparkling wine over the other end of the table.

There came a squeal from a couple of the SIT's that were drenched and who scrambled over to claim a bottle for themselves.

"This is not..."Buffy tried to object but found herself nailed by a stream of champagne. "Who did that?" She sputtered. "OWL!" She squealed surprised.

The tall woman winked and shook up the bottle again preparing a second blast.

"Ammo." Dawn handed her a bottle already drenched.

"Payback." Buffy shook it and sprayed it at Owl.

Within moments the room was filled with squeals, laughter, and soaked young women, with even Xander, Andrew and Giles joined in the frivolity.

"I'm using you as a shield." Zoë hung behind Faith when her bottle ran out. "Most of them are afraid to shoot at you."

"Yeah well you know, they're sensible." Faith shook her wet hand.

"Or no fun." Zoë winked at Tara as she brought up the apparently empty bottle and dumped it down the back of Faith's shirt.

"Hey!" Faith shot up as cold sparkling wine trickled down her back. "Ooh you're gonna pay for that maple leaf."

"You wish." Zoë took off towards the kitchen and what she hoped was safety on the back porch.

"Such a bad move." Faith took off in pursuit grabbing the garden hose off it rest and flicking on the jet spray.

"Hey, hey!" Zoë screamed as she tried to dodge the stream. "So no fair." She finally gave up making a charge at Faith and trying to get control of the nozzle. It waggled between soaking one or the other of them.

Dawn chased through into the kitchen to follow the pair, looking out into the garden she turned her head.

"Water fight!" She announced loudly.

Within seconds a steady stream of SIT's accompanied by Anya, Xander and Andrew filtered out into the garden, followed by Giles who took up a place in the kitchen watching the chaos.

Owl and Buffy lagged behind the group. The two looked at each other for a moment and then Owl eased slowly over to the blonde Slayer.

"You look beautiful like that." She whispered moving closer still.

"I… you… how are you feeling?" Buffy felt her breathing hitch a little.

"Come with me, let me show you." Owl offered her voice still tender.

For a moment Buffy seemed to consider the offer and Owl just let her, giving her space and time to decide whatever she wanted.

"Upstairs." Buffy breathed quickly sliding out of the doorway to the staircase.

-x-

Fifteen minutes after the first popping cork, Dawn and the SIT's baring Owl and Kennedy were all in the garden, soaked to the skin and still chasing one another. Faith was drinking a beer, watching them leaned up against the side of the house, with Anya and Xander carrying out their own personal water attack on each other. Andrew had slunk back inside and was helping Giles with the clearing knowing he couldn't leave his post as magical battery.

Quietly Zoë moved up along side Faith.

"I don't want to break up a party but, shouldn't someone go look for Kennedy?" She whispered.

As soon as the potential's name was mentioned Faith cursed softly.

"Damn that's right she left at the announcement, Crap." She shook her head pushing off the wall and putting her beer on the decking. "Okay I'm gone." She glanced at her watch, they had an hour or so until nightfall.

"Where should we look for her?" Zoë asked keeping up with the Slayer as she strode into the house.

"We don't." Faith stopped in the kitchen and looked at the Canadian. "I'll just do a local check, she won't have gone far, she's not completely stupid. Hey G-man you got SIT watch. If I were you I'd grab the super soaker from under the sink." Faith grinned at Giles and gave Andrew a look that said 'get your ass out there too'. Not stopping to see if they followed her direction the dark haired Slayer walked through to the sitting room, flicking open the weapons chest.

"I should come with you." Zoë followed her, picking up her jacket from off the chair, even though her outfit was already completely soaked.

"No offence, but you're a witch right, I'm a slayer, if our little potential is in trouble, that trouble is being brought either by a Bringer, big guy with a knife, or an Uber vamp, but hard to kill vampire guy." Faith explained. "I can't watch out for Kennedy and you in a fight."

"But if she's hurt I can help, I have medical training and I'm not keen on danger, I'd know when to run and hide." Zoë pushed. "Besides, if I'm sticking around, I need to see a Bringer and an Uber vamp don't I to know what to look out for?" She added logically. "And who better to be shown the sites of Sunnydale by?"

Faith picked up a broad sword and flipped the chest closed.

"Okay, you can come, but don't get in the way okay?" Faith shook her head and pushed off towards the front door.

-x-

Willow pulled back from the hot kiss that she and Tara had been caught up in the hall on the way back through to get some dishes. Looking up at the blonde and she briefly wondered where everyone had gone to until she heard the happy squealing outside.

"I love you." She whispered looking into blue eyes.

"I love you too sweetie and the world kinda knows now." Tara replied softly.

"Good, I want everyone and everything to know how much I love you. How much I want you." Willow felt her voice notch lower.

"Want me?" Tara heard her voice drop too, running her fingers slightly up Willow's arm.

"Want you, need you." Willow shivered under the touch.

"Everyone seem pretty busy out there." Tara glanced up.

"No one would notice us missing." Willow nodded glancing to the stairs.

"And they're making a lot of noise." Tara grinned wickedly.

"Tones of it." Willow reached down for her hand standing up. "We should... go upstairs." She prompted.

Tara took a slightly staggered breath and closed her long fingers around Willow's.

"Oh yes." She nodded.

Willow felt her stomach jump as they pressed up together and literally floated up the stairs from their joy. Willow turned when they entered their room and locked the door behind them, her hands went to her shirt undoing the buttons immediately.

Tara crossed straight to the bed lying down on the soft mattress, watching Willow with bright eyes.

"You're beautiful." She whispered.

"You're not getting undressed." Willow blushed a little as she stepped out of her sneakers and pushed down her jeans.

"I'm watching." She replied licking her lips slowly.

Willow blushed more, her cheeks bright as she reached behind her unclipping her bra and pulling it off her small-excited breasts.

"Beautiful." Tara breathed again, slowly lowering her hands to the bottom of her stretch pink top, pulling it off her body.

Willow watched with her hand stilled at the sides of her hello kitty panties.

"Don't stop." Tara urged softly as she unhooked her bra.

Willow obediently pushed down the small panties and then yanked off her socks before she came over kneeling naked on the bed.

"Perfect." Tara whispered.

Outside the SIT's could still be heard yelping and dosing each other with water.

"That's you." Willow moved closer pressing closer to her.

"Some thing needs your attention." Tara trailed her hand up between her own breasts.

"Mmmm my favorite perfect breasts." Willow dipped her head down licking her lips before she started to place kisses over the soft mounds.

"Mmmm Willow." Tara purred as the sensitive flesh was kissed over and over.

The redhead kept her lips busy, kissing a line from one end to the other placing chaste teasing kisses over hardening nipples. Only once she had finished the line did she bring her lips back, placing kisses all around the dark puckered areas around Tara's nipples, teasing them even harder.

Moving her hands to the sides of breasts Tara pressed them lightly together her breathing shifting to be shallower and faster.

"Oh baby." She whispered thickly.

Willow reached up pressing her hands over Tara's to squeeze them closer together, using the proximity she let the tip of her tongue snake a figure eight around both of her nipples.

"Oh baby do you know how that feels." Tara pressed her head back a little.

"Yummy." Willow grinned as she licked her tongue over one nipple then the over then back wanting to taste both of them at once.

Tara eased one hand off her breast and treaded it through Willow's red hair holding her head lightly in place.

Closing her eyes Willow licked back and forth a few more times, before she pressed even tighter with her hands to bring the blonde's nipples close enough together than she could close her lips over both of them at the same time.

"Mmmm mmm oooo yes." Tara flexed her hips. "Willow, I love you." She whispered feeling her nipples stiffen and strain more.

Willow sucked harder, treading her tongue around the two peaks of flesh. A mumble that was in fact 'I love you too' came back without Willow moving her lips, she was too driven to devour the breasts she loved.

Tara's hand slipped from the back of Willow's head down over her shoulders, then focusing on running up and down the top of her spine. Willow groaned as her body arched, she immediately focused on one breast, sucking the nipple deep into her mouth as she filled her mouth with flesh.

"Oooo yes Willow." Tara literally felt her toes curl, the muscles in her body dancing as she felt her body flared with electric arousal.

Alternating the pressure, she let the hard nipple play against the ridges at the top of her mouth as she pulled her head back a little, pulling flesh taunt.

"Ahhh." Tara sucked a deep breath in pushing her hips up.

Willow's hips pressed back to her as she kept up the hard pressure before she let the nipple slip from her mouth with a soft pop and took a quick breath before she moved to suck the other one deep into her mouth.

"I'm so lucky you like breasts." Tara breathed bringing her other hand to stroke up and down Willow's lower back at the same time as she stroked the top of her spine.

"Love yours." Willow mumbled running the sensitive flesh of her lips across the blonde's nipple, feeling the way it strained and throbbed almost.

Tara knew that the fast hard drumming of her heart would be echoing through her body to Willow's though the soft connection point of her lips.

"They missed you." Tara admitted. "No one makes them this excited."

"That's cause." Willow placed kisses all over them. "No one loves them as much as me." She let the pressure of her hands relax and kissed between them.

"No one could ever love me like you do." Tara shook her head softly.

"No one could ever love me like you do either." Willow leaned up kissing her softly.

"I don't want anyone else, ever." Tara kissed her back.

"Me either, I want you as my wife forever." Willow pulled away and lowered her lips again licking down her left breast.

"Thank you." Tara whispered softly moving her hand back to stroke her lover's hair.

"Thank you, my Goddess." Willow closed her lips against sucking and kisses.

"I'm not a Goddess, I'm your Tara." The blonde shook her head softly. "Suck harder love." She encouraged.

Almost immediately Willow did just that, using her hand to cup Tara's breast and keep the nipple pointing up so that she could get more pressure with her lips and tongue.

"Yes, just like that." Blue eyes blinked closed.

As her lips stayed in place she brought her hand up, teasing the other nipple with the blunt edge of her thumbnail.

"Oh Willow every time you do that, desire flows through me." Tara rocked her hips in time with Willow's thumb movements.

Willow nodded, pulling the nipple with her for the movement. She flicked faster wanting to feel Tara's hips speed up.

In turn Tara's body moved eagerly to the new speed causing the blonde to breathe faster her hand slipping down again to rub down her back.

In an easy move Willow slipped her leg over one of Tara's, pressing her growing wetness against her lover's thigh as she tried to find some friction for her own ache. The taste and texture of the flesh in her mouth was driving her wild.

Tara moaned as she felt Willow's hot flesh pressing against her skin, and instantly tensed the muscles in her long thigh, sliding her hand down to rest on Willow's hip.

"Ride baby." She whispered.

The invitation made Willow groan as she wiggled a bit, getting herself closer to Tara before she started pressing back and forth with her hips to slide her body on the blonde's thigh. Her groan was matched as she sucked harder, breaking her lips away to press Tara's breasts together again ravishing both nipples.

"That's so nice." Tara moved her other hand to Willow's other hip encouragingly rubbing her thumb over her lover's hipbone. She arched her back slightly more as both her breasts were ravished.

"Not too wet?" Willow questioned in a groan as her back arched.

"Never too wet." Tara stretched her fingers out over Willow's slender back, keeping her thumb rubbing over the soft skin.

"Are you?" Willow questioned slipping one hand down now that she had balance over Tara's leg to draw the blonde's skirt up higher.

"Oh..." Tara smiled. "Me? I thought we were talking about you." Tara flexed her hips slowly wishing her panties would just disappear and the Willow would touch her hot body. Quickly she curled her fingers around the tight cotton material, pressing two into wetness. "Am I too wet?" Tara whispered.

"Never." Willow moaned resting her head against round breasts as she breathed hotly, her fingers swirling around her lover's clit.

Tara felt her hips rotate and roll in a soft motion as she encouraged the strong hard push and press of Willow's hips over her thigh almost feeling high on the scent and heat of her lover,

Willow flicked her tongue around a nipple in the same pace that her fingers swirled deeper in Tara's body and her own hips pressed against the blonde's thigh.

"Baby?" Tara breathed blinking open blue eyes.

"Yes love?" Willow moved her head up panting.

"Perhaps we could... if you want... the box is just down by the bed." She whispered her voice heavy and aroused.

"Mmmm the box, let me get it." Willow pulled her hand away slowly, bringing her fingers up to lick them clean with a light blush before she leaned over the edge of the bed pulling out the small box. She pulled out a small battery powered finger massager, clipping it around her middle and ring finger before she dipped her hand back down between Tara's legs. A gentle almost silent hum started when she turned it on and teased it over the wet cotton to send the vibrations into Tara's pussy.

"Oooooh Willow." Tara groaned feeling her body tremble.

"You like that?" Willow half commented, half questioned as she pressed it in a bit harder.

"Oh yes, yes I like that." Tara confirmed though verbal confirmation was hardly necessary as her body released another wave of fluid further soaking her wet panties.

"You do." Willow pressed her fingers around the soaked cotton, moving her fingers and the vibrator head in to tease around Tara's throbbing centre.

"Oh sweetie." Her hands tightened their grip on Willow's hips.

"You feel so wonderful." Willow groaned her hips sliding more on Tara's leg as her fingers moved faster.

"Do... do you need anything more?" Tara moaned and breathed faster feeling her clit begin to pulse.

"Touch me." Willow groaned her voice higher as she rocked faster against Tara's thigh.

Tara moaned and slid one hand over and across Willow's trembling stomach trying to keep the rhythm of her body even.

Willow didn't help her as she closed her lips over a tight nipple again sucking as her fingers swirled below.

"Ahhh baby..." Tara groaned louder. "I need... I need to get my hand there baby."

Willow slowed for just a second lifting her hips up enough to let Tara wiggle her hand between them. Tara slid her hand into place and pressed her hand flat to the heated body rubbing against her. Willow's back straightened as she moaned loudly from the more direct contact.

"So close baby." She breathed in warning as she pressed the vibration tighter to Tara's centre.

"Ahhh I... I know." Tara acknowledged as her body began moving harder and faster. "Me to."

Willow concentrated on rocking harder as the bed began to move with them, knocking lightly against the wall and joining into the noise of their moans and pants.

"Ooh Willow, oh love." Tara put the effort in to speak as she felt her body tightening.

"Yes Tara, yes Tara." Willow panted pressing harder.

"Together baby," Tara made the soft request her free hand moving to rest over Willow's

"Together." Willow curled her fingers into Tara's.

"Yessssssssssssssssssssssssss." Tara pushed harder up to Willow's body her insides trembling and releasing, her breathing fast and shallow.

Feeling the change in her lover, Willow's hips bucked harder without rhythm her insides going tight.

"I... I don't want to stop." Tara panted curling her central finger up to slip inside Willow.

"Ahhhhhhh." Willow felt her tight insides pushed open and it made her slide closer to release.

"Oh Goddess baby." Tara felt her body swell and release a blown away by how Willow felt inside. Wanting to feel her lover, Willow wiggled her fingers out of the small catch on the vibrator and pressed them lower, pushing two into Tara's hot body.

"Ooooooooooo!" Tara's eyes squeezed closed as she felt her lover press inside her. "Yes darling, yes."

"Mmmm so love you." Willow leaned closer, their bodies braced against one another as she ground her hips and stroked her fingers in and out.

"More than love, you complete me baby." Tara growled, as she angled her penetrating finger forward slightly to rub inside her lover's body.

"Ahhhhhhh me too." Willow's hips arched up flat whimpering as Tara's finger teased her.

"I ... I want to hear you angel." Tara pressed just slightly higher.

"Oh baby, you feel so good... oh TARRAAAA." She screamed her name softly as the bedpost hit against the wall harder, her own fingers driving faster.

"Oooo, Oooh Willow, WILLLOW!" Tara's cry wasn't soft as the blonde climaxed hard.

"Baby, baby." Willow panted out her voice getting lower as she tumbled into her own orgasm suddenly pressing her fingers in deep and holding them here against spasming muscles.

Tara bucked and rocked, pressing round and up over and over, her whole body shaking in release, her breath hot and fast, coming out with soft pleasured moans.

Willow's reaction was similar, her hips sliding on Tara's hand drawing out her screams and moans before she shivered and felt more limp against Tara.

Panting hard, Tara eased her hand free and cupped the back of Willow's head.

"So complete." She breathed.

"Complete." Willow agreed in a hard whisper as she drew her fingers out slowly so she could hug Tara.

"We'll be complete forever." Tara whispered hugging her back.

"Forever." Willow nodded kissing the skin closest to her lips.

-x-


	13. Chapter 13

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M ****Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Thirteen.**

Buffy left Owl to sort out the door and sat down on the bed pulling off her boots and then standing to pull her wet shirt off. Owl closed it carefully and flicked the lock into place. Turning she rested her back on it and watching the Slayer.

"I'm wet." She explained feeling hotter as Owl watched her taking off her jeans and even when she moved to undo her bra.

"You are." Owl nodded and ran her hand over her stomach her fingers splaying out over the wet ribbed cotton of her sleeveless shirt.

"So are you." Buffy smiled as she let her bra fall open and pulled it off.

"I'm getting more that way by the second." Owl smirked slowly rubbing her fingers back and forth.

"Tease." Buffy smirked back pulling off her panties slowly, her body shivering under Owl's stare.

"Oh I'm not teasing." Owl shook her head licking her lips. "God you're hot." She added appraising Buffy's naked form.

"Aren't you getting undressed?" Buffy looked at her.

"I'm enjoying the view right now." Owl admitted walking slowly forwards. Buffy almost brought her arms up to cover herself but the look in Owl's eyes made her stop. "You're... you have a fucking amazing body." Owl whispered reaching out and trailing her fingers up Buffy's arm.

"I could lose a little weight." Buffy objected softly shivering under the touch.

"No, you couldn't." Owl shook her head, bringing her lips down to kiss Buffy's shoulder. "You're perfect."

"Mmmm so are you." Buffy titled her head. "Are your ribs okay?" She asked reaching her hand up to Owl's shoulder.

"Can't feel a thing." Owl shook her head. "Well nothing bad anyway."

"Tara's spell worked then." Buffy appraised looking into aroused eyes.

"Like a charm." Owl nodded. "So I'm good to go."

"I don't want you hurting again." Buffy explained why she was questioning.

"You didn't cause this." Owl shook her head kissing up over Buffy's jaw softly.

"I know, but I've aggravated it... with all the..." She breathed out relaxing against Owl's body. "Sexy time."

"Nah." Owl shook her head. "You want to be thankful for the injuries, if it hadn't have been for them, we'd still be having 'sexy time'." She used Buffy's term with a wide grin.

"No, I'd have lost you to your baby in the yard." Buffy laughed lightly.

"Oh no." Owl shook her head. "I might like the big bikes and the leather, but I'm no boy, if a beautiful woman needs me, I'm right there."

"You're definitely not a boy." Buffy leaned up pressing their lips together as she lopped both arms around Owl's neck.

"No, not even with all the gear I have, I'm no boy." Owl slid her arms around her waist.

"Good." Buffy kissed her deeper.

"Though if I were, God I'd be uncomfy right now, I'm uncomfy enough as it is just thinking abut you." Owl grinned.

"Would you?" Buffy couldn't help but grin back.

"Hell yeah." Owl nodded. "Buffy you have an amazing body and a personality to wow anyone, and what's more than that, unless I'm mistaken we came up here to have great hot sex."

"We did." Buffy nodded pressing her body to the SIT's. "You need to get undressed." She pointed out.

"Do I? Why, what do you want to do to me?" Owl growled softly, stroking her hands over Buffy's naked hips pressing her jeans forward rubbing them against the blonde's neatly trimmed mound.

"I want to touch you." Buffy breathed in at the pressure.

"Then touch me." Owl purred she slid her hand down over the front of her pants and rubbed her knuckles against Buffy's body sliding her other hand round to cup Buffy's ass cheek.

"I..." Buffy's eyes slid closed at the new pressure against body finding her track of thought lost. "Oh God Owl." She shivered.

"What Buffy?" Piper pressed her fingers harder against her, following them up with a press from her hips.

"I want... I want you to touch me." She breathed out pressing her hips forward.

"I'm touching you." Owl leaned in and kissed her neck lightly. She carefully turned her hand round and slipped her fingers down cupping Buffy's pussy.

Buffy moaned going up a bit on her tiptoes before she settled into the contact.

"Mmmm Buffy, why didn't you come up early Buffy." Owl kissed over and over.

"I thought you were mad at me." Buffy admitted softly melting into Owl's kisses and hand.

Very gently Piper moved her central finger back and forth, shaking her head and kissing along the soft well in the Slayer's neck.

"I wasn't mad at you." She cleared up the matter. Buffy's breath was hitched as the single finger made her thighs quiver. "And even if I was." She paused and grinned. "I couldn't have stayed that way." Owl found her finger gracing lightly over the Slayer's clit, leisurely she stroked over and over.

"You could have." Buffy groaned out lightly as she felt her body relaxing under the gentle almost casual touch. She'd never felt anyone touch her so leisurely. "You're definitely not a boy, they never go that slow." She massaged her hand into Owl's neck.

"A girl like you, deserves slow." Owl breathed out stroking over and over. "Deserves to feel all her body can give."

"Mmmm I can." Buffy closed her eyes her head tipping back.

"Did you want to take this to the bed?" Piper whispered.

"I don't know how long I can stand up." She admitted. She tipped her head forward to look at her lover. "Do you want to lie down?"

"I want you to be comfortable." Owl replied kissing Buffy. "Though…" She paused and looked deeply into the Slayer's eyes.

"Though?" Buffy licked her lips feeling Owl's finger moving even slower.

"Buffy have you ever... you like straight sex don't you?" She asked the odd sounding question.

"Yes." Buffy nodded. "You mean because of the..." She blushed.

"Well yeah." Owl kissed the soft blush.

"Yes, I liked that part." Buffy admitted softly.

"Do you trust me?" Owl pulled back slightly but kept her finger moving softly. "And I don't mean like huge world changing trust, just in this."

"What do you mean in this?" Buffy natural slayer wariness kicked in.

"In what we're doing." Owl kissed her cheeks over and over.

"Oh this... yes." Buffy nodded softly as her hips arched into the motion.

"Lay down, you might want to look after yourself softly, but don't get too excited without me, I'll be back really soon." Owl slowed her finger down to the slowest speed before stilling.

"You want me to keep touching myself?" Buffy found herself blushing more.

"Yes." Owl nodded sliding her hand sensual out of its place she threaded her fingers through one of Buffy's hands and slowly eased it down. "Feel how good you feel." She didn't pull the hand all the way not wanting to worry or upset the blonde.

Buffy hesitated for a moment, looking into Owl's eyes and saw only encouragement and lust looking back at her.

"Let me lie down." She didn't put her hand any further as she backed up and lay down.

"Beautiful." Owl whispered her voice catching in her throat. Very slowly Buffy ran her hand down her stomach. "Only do what feels okay." Owl whispered mesmerized.

Buffy saw how she was being appraised and boldly leaned back with her legs more open sliding her hand lower, her hips flaring a bit as she came to feel her own wet heat.

"You are so hot." Owl licked her lips and ran her own hand over the crotch of her jeans pulling them up and pressing in with her finger lightly.

"Not as much as you." Buffy watched what Owl was doing almost forgetting about her own hand as she mimicked the movement biting her lip when her fingers pressed onto her clit.

"That's it." Owl moaned. "Feel how hot you are." She pressed her fingers harder on her pants feeling her own heat.

"Where are you going?" Buffy settled herself, pulling over the other pillow so she was propped up a bit as she let her finger circle over her centre.

"Bathroom, I'll be right back." Owl kept the movement of her hand up as she ducked down and picked up her backpack from the floor. "Just keep comfy." She breathed.

"Okay." Buffy nodded softly as Owl eased the lock of the door and then slid out.

Being left alone, with the door unlocked for that matter, made Buffy feel a lot more vulnerable. After all she couldn't be sure anyone wasn't just going to come upstairs and barge in. Her fingers stilled but she could feel the deep ache that Owl's touch had started in her begging to be satisfied. Just a few short moments later the door handle turned.

"Only me." Owl whispered softly. She pushed open the door and slipped inside closing and locking the door behind her. She turned back to the bed, still dressed in her pants and tight wet T-shirt.

"Good." Buffy breathed out having froze when she heard footsteps.

"I thought you were getting changed." Buffy questioned confused seeing that Owl was in exactly the same outfit.

"I said I was going to the bathroom." Owl reminded as she crossed over to the bed, a certain swagger to her steps. "How are you?" She asked eyeing the Slayer's prone naked body.

"A bit nervous, I was worried one of the SIT's would barge in." Buffy admitted watching her swagger over.

"Still out in the yard." Owl crossed over to the open window motioning to it and the loud screaming and giggling that floated through it. Smiling Owl pulled the window closed.

"They're having a good time." Buffy smiled softly glad to hear the noise.

"They are." Owl nodded, kneeling light on the bed. "And you needn't worry, they wouldn't come in here with the door shut.

"I have the only one that I want in her with me already." Buffy admitted holding out her hand urging her to lie down.

"Mmmm looks like you stopped." Owl smiled glancing at the soft blonde 'v' between Buffy legs.

"I..." Buffy felt her other hand where it rested on her thigh. "You weren't here to watch."

"I am now." Owl encouraged leaning in and placing a kiss on Buffy's breast.

"Mmmm." Buffy arched up to her lips.

"You can always stroke me if you'd rather." Owl offered.

Buffy slid her hand down Owl's body, her mind mostly concentrating on the kisses that moved across her breasts. That was until she reached the crotch of Owl's jeans and felt a very hard lump where there shouldn't be one.

"Owl?" She stopped pulling back concerned.

"Yeah?" Owl paused briefly answering her before going right back to kissing.

"What..." Buffy pushed her hand back. "Are you hurt? You have bandages." She asked confused.

"Bandages?" Owl frowned and shook her head. "Don't think so." She continued kissing.

"Owl." Buffy had to physically stop her. "You have a..." She dragged Owl's hand down. "Lump."

Slowly almost luxuriously Owl ran her hand over her crotch her fingers tracing out over the discernable lump.

"Mmmm." She moaned softly. "Told you that you were super hot."

"Piper, that has nothing to do with this. What's wrong?" Buffy was worried as she rolled a bit checking the other bandages.

"Buffy." Owl put her hands gently over Buffy's. "There's nothing wrong." She stated clearing.

"But you have mysterious lump." The Slayer shook her head. "Could be a ripped muscle, I should have pushed the docs to check you over more. I know they were busy and about to all skip town but..." She frowned.

"Oh I don't know about mysterious, I think its pretty much to be expected for someone sharing a room with naked, sexy, you." She again punctuated her words with kisses.

"Owl, this is serious." Buffy stopped her again. "Does it hurt?"

"Buffy its okay, I just..." Owl seemed to become serious for a moment. "I wanted to pack for you, kind of a way to show you what you make me feel."

"Pack for me?" Buffy looked at her confused.

Owl suddenly smiled brightly and then laughed softly.

!- (5:41:06 PM)-"What? I don't understand." Buffy shook her head.

"Oh God Buffy I'm sorry, its just I completely forgot you're new to this, you're just so hot and so sexy I didn't think that..." Owl moved her hand and brushed a few stands of dark blonde back off Buffy's face

"Owl what the hell are you talking about?" Buffy felt herself growing tenser as the Potential talked around whatever this was which apparently she was too stupid to be getting.

"Hey, hey there's no need to tense up." Owl instantly saw the Slayer's shoulders twitch. "Here let me lose the jeans.

"Piper, I don't understand what you're talking about with packing and me being new." Buffy shook her head not moving to help.

"Well you've heard of harnesses right?" Owl raised her eyebrow.

"That you put on horses." Buffy nodded. "Or I guess for guns."

"Or for girls who want to have that extra bit for their lovers." Owl tried to explain.

"You mean?" Buffy looked down at the bulge in Owl's jeans again her eyes going wider as she squeaked out the question.

"I can go take it off, damn I can be stupid." Owl felt an edge of panic.

"No, no wait." Buffy gripped her hands into the shoulders of Owl's shirt to keep her there. "You mean... you have a..." She looked down again her voice more normal.

"She's called Myst." Owl nodded.

"I didn't know you could have one." Buffy admitted running her hand down Owl's body again this time without the panic, more curiosity and a bit of anticipation fueled her exploration.

"You can, many different ones, like I say this one is called Myst, I have others, but she's my favorite and the harness she's in is made of a stretchy material called PVC." Owl explained wanting to give Buffy as much warning as she could.

"And you put her on for me? You packed for me?" She tried to use the term that Piper had.

"Yeah." Owl nodded. "Because I like how she feels when I'm pressed up to a beautiful girl and I love the pleasure I can bring with her."

"Can I?" Buffy's hand stilled on Owl's belt buckle.

"Of course, I'm wearing her for you." Owl smiled nodding.

"I just want to feel." Buffy whispered feeling her body relaxing completely and settling more into anticipation as she cupped her hand over the hard area. "She's hard." She pointed out looking in dark eyes.

"Too hard?" Owl asked gently.

"I... she seemed nice." Buffy nodded slightly. Moving her hand over to Owl's hip she leaned up kissing her again.

"Let me go take her off, we can have proper introductions later." Piper caught her mouth and drew the kiss out.

"No, no." Buffy squeaked this time in protest. "Not yet." She shook her head moving one around Owl's body pulling her closer.

Piper moved closer dipping her head to begin kissing her again. Buffy kissed her back feeling more relaxed, or at least relaxed enough to move to find Owl's hand and guide it back between her legs. Piper let her fingers slid back over the still hot and wet flesh.

"Mmmm oh God Buffy." She moaned kissing along her throat her fingertip carving lightly the ridges and valleys around Buffy's clit.

"Missed those fingers." Buffy moaned as her hips flared open, all the misunderstanding and confusion completely forgotten.

"They missed your body." Owl whispered dipping back drawing forward the soft liquid gold from the Slayer's open body smoothing it over and round the hardening clit.

"How long have you had Myst?" Buffy asked her hips moving slowly with the exploration.

"Myst? Oh she's kinda new." Owl replied keeping her voice soft. "About six months, I used to have one just like her, but I gave that to…" The tall woman stopped as the memory stalled her slightly.

"Lucky girl." Buffy reached her hand up cupping Piper's cheek. She could feel the flash of grief hitting the potential.

"I am, for ever knowing her." Owl seemed to take a moment and then steeled herself some inner strength. "Just like I am for now knowing you." She blinked slowly at Buffy.

"Knowing how to live again..." Buffy leaned up brushing their lips together. "Live through the pain."

For a moment forgetting what she as wearing and the previous hesitation and tension, Owl pulled Buffy close to her and held her tightly pressing her head against the side of Buffy's.

"To rise from the ruins of that which has been spoiled." Her voice choked slightly as she placed a hard kiss on Buffy's shoulder.

"You will, you are..." Buffy hugged her tightly reaching up to rub though her hair. "You're going to make it through this Piper."

"Even if I don't." Piper shook her head. "I'm not scared anymore." She pulled back slightly and pressed her lips hotly to Buffy's.

"We're going to beat it." Buffy vowed kissing her back harder.

"That happens tomorrow." Owl pulled back panting a bit. "I'm more interested in what happens today." She groaned into the kiss and sucked on Buffy's tongue. Buffy groaned her body pressing to Owl's feeling the lump in her crotch pressing into her hip. "Oh Buffy, really, you are so beautiful." Owl groaned unable to stop the soft flex of her hips forward into Buffy's.

"Today I want you to introduce me to Myst, to what you can do with her." Buffy growled out pressing her hand into Owl's back.

"Are... are you sure?" Owl's voice hitched slightly as she felt a surge of desire through her.

"I trust you." Buffy slid her hands down to Owl's butt griping.

"Well the first thing I'm going to underline is that though I have Myst, its not all about her." She smiled softly and then slid her fingers back, over and over Buffy's clit. "It's still all about you. Well me and you." She added with a smile.

"Ummmmoohhh." Buffy's body reached to the touch. "Better be me and you." She smiled back.

"Oh it is, believe me, the reason I'm not wearing the leather one, is that the PVC doesn't mind being completely soaked." She explained.

"Does it feel good?" "Buffy moved her hand around pressing against the lump in time with the fingers flicking over her clit.

"More than good, especially, mmmmmm when you do that." Owl groaned.

"You can feel that?" Buffy rubbed and pressed.

"Oh yes. The base of Myst rests here." Owl shifted her other hand.

"And you're..." Buffy breathed out deeply as felt Owl show her how Myst pressed feeling the firm pressure grin into her pelvic bone. "Wet?"

"Very wet, the strap between my legs is soaking." Piper admitted freely.

"You're so sexy." Buffy kissed her hotly sucking on the potential's bottom lip.

"I thought we'd already cleared the you're the sexy one thing up." Owl groaned sliding her hand back and forth over Buffy's swollen clit and outer lips.

"I've been building for so long with you doing that." Buffy broke off panting as she felt her hips moving harder against the stimulation.

"You build beautifully." Sliding her fingers a little further back Owl pressed two gently up into Buffy's body, testing her arousal. The Slayer instantly locked down on the finger's, arching up in ecstasy. "Mmmm mmm Buffy." Owl was both surprised and delighted her breath pushing out in a hot gasp. Buffy was only able to gasp back as her body bucked and shivered. "I don't want to rush this Buffy, but do you want to feel her?" Owl whispered her voice soft like melted chocolate.

"I think... yes." Buffy nodded feeling herself flush with pleasure from head to toe.

"Okay." Owl breathed lightly. "You want to go on top that way you have the control." The potential's voice was low.

"Please." Buffy shivered with the gentle tone that Owl was using.

"Do you have a flavor preference?" Owl wiggled her hand into her jean packet and pulled out a selection of condoms.

"Do we need those?" Buffy was slightly confused again.

"It makes it feel nice, smell good and you can never beat the safety features." She grinned back spreading them out in a small fan shape.

"You have chocolate." Buffy pulled one out.

Owl grinned and let the others drop from her hand and slip off the bed onto the floor. She then pushed open her jeans more as she eased the soft baby blue silicon out of them.

"I'm predictable aren't I?" Buffy laughed lightly. "She's blue." She looked down breathing out a bit shocked.

"I have a pink one if you prefer, though she's a little larger." Owl smiled all the while.

"No, I just figured she'd look more like... well like a penis." Buffy studied the smooth shaft and head.

"Well they can do, I have a marbled effect one that looks more like one than she does." Owl explained. "I just thought not too long, not too thick, but with a nice head for you to grip would suit a gorgeous thing like you." She explained her choice.

"You're so confident when you talk." Buffy moved over closer, kissing her slowly.

"Yeah maybe it's to cover the fact that really deep inside, I'm shy." Owl winked. "You gonna open that and slide it on her?"

Buffy took the condom and slowly opened it up, she threw the foil at the dresser and pulled out the clear condom. Carefully she slid it down the blue shaft smiling at the chocolate smell in the air.

"You might be shy." Buffy moved over to straddle her stomach. "But you hide it well." She leaned down kissing her again.

"Just like you hide your hot lesbian side." Owl winked and ran her hands over Buffy's bare sides.

"I don't have a hot lesbian side." Buffy shook her head laughing lightly.

"If you say so." Owl winked putting up a hand she cupped Buffy's breast and squeezed softly.

"Mmmm I do." Buffy leaned into her strong hands.

"Good job I'm a boy then." Piper winked pushing her hips up pressing the tip of Myst against her back.

"Piper..." Buffy arched looking into dark eyes. "I'm a bit nervous." She admitted softly.

"Of course you are." Owl's voice dropped as did her hips. "And this can be a brief hi this is me intro or something more, there is no rules here. No agenda or check points, no expectations." She shook her head going back to just gently stroking the Slayer's legs.

"But I want it to feel good for you." Buffy objected though she found herself concentrating on the soft hands that ran up and down her legs.

"Just having you naked, sitting straddling my tummy makes it more than good Buffy." Owl explained honestly.

"You mean it don't you? If I said I wanted to stop and got up off the bed you wouldn't be mad or upset would you?" Buffy reached up tracing her fingers over Owl's cheek.

"Why the hell would I be mad or up set?" Piper moved her hand and lightly took the hand that Buffy moved over her cheek, she guided the fingertips to her mouth and kissed them gently. "I would be okay with it, if all we ever did again was lay beside each other fully clothed or even fight together side by side to make this world a better place." The potential spoke frankly.

"Would you be disappointed?" Buffy felt her worry take a different stream.

"Disappointed that I didn't get to see sexy gorgeous you writhe around screaming my name in the height of release. Hello, Buffy I might be considerate and non pushy but I'm not brain dead." She grinned.

"I was worried." Buffy grinned leaning down to kiss her.

"And boy would I need to slip off to the bathroom to finish." Owl kissed her before leaning back and winking obviously.

"You'd have to touch yourself for me?" Buffy pressed down against her stomach more. Owl ensured her stomach muscles were tense for her to grind down against.

"God yes." She nodded.

"No ones ever said that before." Buffy leaned down kissing her pressing her hands into Owl's breasts.

"Stick around me and you'll get to hear it a lot." Owl winked again her back arching and her nipples stiffening at the simple touch.

"I want to hear it a lot." Buffy leaned down kissing her as she massaged. "This feels good."

"It does." Owl agreed easily.

"How do I ... "Buffy leaned in her voice heavy. "Get settled?"

"Well if you shift onto your knees, you can rest above her and then ease down as little or as much as you want. You can guide the head yourself to get it in the right spot." Piper rubbed her legs again.

"On my knees?" Buffy shifted slowly, moving down until she felt the stiffness against her leg. "Could you... guide." She asked breathing out.

"Of course." Piper whispered, smiling softly as she moved her hand to rest between Buffy's legs taking the opportunity to again stroke over her clit back and forth gently.

Buffy moaned forgetting almost what they were doing as she just enjoyed the intimate touch that made her hips rock and flare. Deciding to focus on this and the luscious feeling it brought to her to watch Buffy rock and shift to the soft motion. Owl drew her fingers over longer and fuller then burred them over the hard nub briefly going right back to stroking. Each motion made Buffy move differently as she groaned louder, her hand going up to brace on the headboard as her legs shook.

"God you're beautiful." Piper breathed following the move with her eyes tipping her head back slightly as she watched the gentle bounce of Buffy's breasts.

"Please make me... before I..." Buffy ground down on Owl's fingers feeling hot shivers flush up inside her.

"You want to cum baby?" Owl whispered hotly.

"Yes." Buffy looked down at her lover with wild eyes.

Bringing more of her fingers in to play with and over Buffy's clit Piper teased and then stroked and then directly stimulated the Slayer.

Buffy settled into the touch by the time Owl's fingers were settled directly on her centre, her breathing was fast and the long build up in her body made it no time before her hips were jerking and she was smearing hot wetness over the potential's stomach with her motion. She called out loudly, bending her head down near Piper's ear as her back arched.

"Oooooh yes Buffy, God feel it." Piper urged her.

"Put... Myst... now." Buffy panted into her ear feeling her hot insides shivering.

Bringing her other hand down she gently tilted the silicon shaft and guided it to Buffy's body. The Slayer instantly called out again in pleasure as the ache inside her was filled. She pressed back sitting up more, the silicon sliding up deep until she was snug to Piper's body.

"Piper, it's warm." She breathed out completely shocked as she felt her interior muscles gripping it tightly.

"Oooh christ." the potential groaned having not expected such depth. "Yes baby, warm." She breathed out sliding her guiding hand out and up over her lover's back.

"I didn't expect that." Buffy admitted pulling up slightly with a loud groan before she let her body slid down the shaft again.

"Warm and snug and deep inside you." Piper whispered.

"Is it okay for you?" Buffy dipped down letting her lower body grind against Piper's staying deep on Myst.

"More than okay." Owl nodded trying hard to keep her lower body and not push up into Buffy's body.

"You're not moving." Buffy pressed one hand under Owl's shirt teasing her nipple.

"Ahhhhhhh." Owl groaned, biting the edge of her lip. "I… I can move? That'd be okay?" She asked softly explaining her stillness.

"Please... I want you to like it." Buffy played with the nipple between her fingers.

"Mmmm." Gently at first the potential let a slow ripple of pleasure run through her body pressing her hips up just a little. Even the slight move made Buffy groan as Myst shifted inside her. "God you feel amazing." Owl moaned as she let Buffy groan flow through her.

"That's you and Myst." Buffy circled her hips down as Owl pushed up.

"Its all three of us." Owl contradicted rolling her hips harder up.

"Ahhhhhhh." Buffy sat up straight pressing down hard when Owl pushed up.

"Ohhh God yes." Owl felt a shudder going through her and pushed her hips up faster and more direct feeling the angle of Myst shift slightly.

Buffy groaned again leaning back a bit, letting her hips drive down harder, the thick head of the silicone pressing through her tight muscles.

"Ooh god." Piper moaned again, feeling the silicon judder a little and then press into the hot body above her deeper. Drawing her hips back into the mattress, she pressed up with a low pant of effort.

Buffy rode the shaft harder as she felt the silver 'o' ring and PVC straps bumping against her already shivering clit, pushing her closer to another mind blowing orgasm.

"Oh God Buffy oh God." Owl panted over and over as she thrust up and up again, her eyes watching as Buffy rode her hard. She knew the slayer had strength but her body was completely pinned underneath the tiny blond and happily she found herself being brought along for Buffy's ride.

"I'm... oh Piper..." Buffy leaned forward, grabbing the headboard with both hands the mattress squeaking and moaning as they pressed even harder together.

"I know baby, fuck I know." Piper moved both hands and gripped Buffy's hips adding what strength she could to the movement. "God you are amazing. a…ma...zing." She thrust between syllables.

"Fuck... yesssssssssss." The Slayer hissed unable to believe how hot Myst had become as it slid in and out of her body at an almost impossible pace.

Pulling down hard on Buffy's hips Owl thrust up deep into Buffy's body, not letting her hips drop back she just pushed up and up in a faster blur of hip thrusts.

"PIPPPER!" Buffy was left screaming out her lover's name as the fast pressure made her tumble into her building orgasm, her muscles gripping the shaft almost keeping it in place and making the base bounce against Piper's body as she continued to try to move.

"Ooooooh God." The hard repetitive ricochet was too much for the potential who though trying desperately to keep control, lost it as she began to climax, her body moving, rotating and pushing up her hands sliding over as much of Buffy's skin as they could touch.

"Yes, yes, yesssss." Buffy couldn't believe how good she felt as orgasms rolled through her again and again.

"Yesssss, Bufffy ooooh baby." Finally the strength in Owl's lower body faded slightly, dropping her butt back onto the mattress she tried to still softly push up for Buffy.

"Oh god Piper." Buffy kept rocking her hands dropping down so her breasts pushed against owl's T-shirt. "That... you're amazing."

Using the strength she just about had left she reached down and wriggled the top up and off her head wanting to feel Buffy's skin.

"You're beautiful." She panted hard.

"No, you." Buffy leaned against her breathing erratically.

Owl wrapped her arms around Buffy and stroked her hair trying to even out her breathing and encouraging Buffy to do so too, though this proved to be a hard task as ever brush over soft damp hair made a pulse rush through the potential.

"Pip-per." Buffy tried to get her voice to work but she felt small almost miniature orgasms rolling through her hips catching her by surprise.

"Buffy, god, I think I need a cold shower." She tried to stop touching the other woman but found it next to impossible not to stroke her back.

"Don't move... please." Buffy stayed lying her body shivering.

"But..." Owl began to object worried out of her need and desire by the Slayer's trembling. "Oh Buffy, let me get a blanket." She fretted.

"No, I'm ... mmm on fire." Buffy titled her head up kissing Owl firmly on the lips. "Just want to feel how warm you are." She pulled back laying her head between the potential's breasts.

"I'm not warm baby, I'm on fire too." Owl squeezed her.

"I know." Buffy groaned. "It feels so alive." She moved her hips a little moaning loudly.

"Mmmmmm Buffy careful." Piper had to warn the Slayer not to move too much.

"Oh I'm sorry did I hurt you? I wasn't even thinking about slayer strength." Buffy panicked slightly.

"Buffy no, no its not that, I just am going to want to flip us over and fuck you harder if you don't stop." Piper shook her head and kissed her cheek.

"Why aren't you?" Buffy caught dark eyes, her own sparkling.

"I didn't want to... to rush you, or hurt you." Piper bucked once unable to control the surge through her at Buffy's response.

"This doesn't hurt Piper, this feel..." She groaned again. "I want more."

"Ooooh Buffy." Piper pressed up and caught Buffy in a searing kiss.

Buffy pressed back into it eagerly. Kissing her long and hard, Owl pulled back as she slid her hands down onto Buffy's ass.

"I might slip out." She said gently as she began to push her back up off the mattress.

"I'm ready." Buffy groaned trying to keep her muscles loose. She tucked her leg and helped Owl make the quick roll so that she was on her back with the potential above her.

"Okay so that went well." Owl grinned from her new position.

"Some benefits of being the slayer." Buffy locked her ankles around Owl's back.

"Mmmm yes." Owl arched her eyebrow. "I want to do this slow and you know sensually." She began. "But, my body, Myst and my ache is screaming fuck her hard."

"Mmmmmm hard." Buffy heard herself growl not sure where it had come from but she knew it was indeed what she wanted.

"Ooh god Buffy." Owl pushed forward with her body, shifting her hands carefully so that they braced her up with her hips down against her lover's.

"I trust you Piper." Buffy arched into the first press watching the woman above her.

Pulling her hips back, Piper expertly drew the long hot shaft of silicon backwards withdrawing it slowly from Buffy's body until she felt the Slayer's initial ring of muscle ease to release the head. Stopping at that place she held her position, her weight fully supported on her arms.

Buffy groaned as her body was left empty and grasping. She snaked her hands up between them putting her palms flat against Piper's breasts.

Owl gave a whimper of pleasure her arms threatening for a second to buckle, but after only a little dip she steadied them and looked down into hazel eyes, panting lightly.

"Ready?" She breathed.

"Yesssss." Buffy looked into dark eyes her voice strong.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." With a low labored moan Owl dipped her hips down and forwards, feeling inches of hot silicon press through recuperating muscles deep back into Buffy's body.

The moan was matched by Buffy as she felt herself entered slowly right to the point she thought she couldn't take anymore before it pulled back leaving her wishing for just that.

The withdrawal was as slow as the penetration had been but the second thrust was quicker pressing back deep inside her.

"Yes Piper." Buffy urged her on keeping her eyes open and locked with the potential's.

Her brain for a moment detached from her body, thinking of Spike for an unwanted moment but instead of it making her feel dirty and ashamed she realized she was finally truthfully free of him and the sick hold he had on her psyche. She didn't need him to make her feel anything, she didn't need him to hurt her. What she needed was this, to make her feel alive, sexy and precious.

"Oh Buffy precious, you're beautiful." Owl dipped her head down a little more to whisper as she changed the depth and length of her penetration, opting instead for rhythmical medium paced thrusts.

"I feel like I am when I'm with you." Buffy reached up cupping her cheek.

"You are." A light sheen of effort induced sweat broke over Owl's forehead as she focused on flicking and rolling her hips into Buffy's.

"Thank you." Buffy pressed up to her making their motions grind against one another lightly.

"No need for thanks Buffy." Owl shook her head, speeding up slightly. "This... you... its thanks enough."

"It's not." Buffy groaned pressing up to her faster, the mattress straining beneath them again.

"It is." Owl caught hold of her lip with her top teeth as pushing became harder when Buffy's muscles tightened slightly.

"So good." The Slayer was forced to close her eyes briefly putting her hands on Owl's shoulder, pressing her hips up to meet each thrust.

Piper felt her body tremble slightly with each forward push as the feedback through her rocked into her body from her clit through to her soul as she made the moves both faster and harder. She panted louder with effort feeling her own arousal seeping out making everything hotter and wetter.

"Tell me you feel something." Buffy opened her eyes looking into dark ones seeing the struggle of pleasure and desire.

"I feel everything, God I feel you, I feel the heat just pouring from your body, the tension in the muscles inside you holding me there, the strength in your legs around me, I feel my own heart hammering inside as if it might burst, I feel my own heat, my own desire pulsing through me." Owl's voice became breathy and fast as she continued thrusting as she spoke.

"Yess... yesss." Buffy held her eyes her own thrusts more frantic and desperate.

"I feel your hot breath on my face, on my breasts, I feel my body clenching inside, as I get closer and closer." Owl latched onto her bottom lip thrusting. "Oh Christ Buffy I feel you, I feel me... I feel it all. Ahhh ahhhh ahhh." She panted with each push.

"All." Buffy's body arched up pressing them up locked together as they both screamed out in passion.

As Owl climaxed hard, her tensed arms gave out and she collapsed lightly on top of the blonde gasp and panting as her body shook.

Buffy's strength was more than able to hold them aloft in the arch until gasping for breath she collapsed onto the mattress taking Piper with her as they lay panting together. Slowly she brought her arms up around Owl's body holding her as the potential had held her earlier.

"Oh God baby." Piper felt a soft tremor ripple through her. "You are amazing."

"We are." Buffy settled with Owl on top of her breathing out slowly. "Sleep baby." Buffy cradled her.

Piper felt her eyes dip heavily down, as like a wall exhaustion ran into her but remembering then she was still buried deep inside the Slayer she tried to fight it.

"I need to... still inside." She mumbled losing the battle.

"You're fine." Buffy assured her closing her own eyes exhausted. "I want you there." She kissed Owl's hair as she started to fall asleep.

"Wake me if you need me my precious Buffy." Owl murmured before becoming a heavier weight on top of her as sleep claimed her.

"You are what I need Piper." Buffy whispered closing her eyes barely noticing the weight.

-x-

Zoë knew that her limited sense of her surroundings was on high as she followed a few steps behind Faith. The dark Slayer had been fairly relaxed and talkative for the first portion of their outing but now that the sun was sinking below the horizon she was getting more down to business.

"Nothing much is open, she could be visiting anywhere." Zoë knew the comment wasn't very helpful but she was tracking the insides of the houses for movement or signs of life as they passed.

"That would have been smart, I bet she's somewhere in the open." Faith almost cursed as she crossed the road glancing to make sure that Zoë was following as she crossed through the bike path into the back of the local grade school. "She won't have gone far, she's pissed she's not runaway."

"Why is she upset?" Zoë asked guessing it had something to do with the announcement but not knowing why.

"Her and Red had a thing, had being the important bit. Now that Tara's back you can see she's got no chance." Faith shrugged. "From the attitude she's been giving everyone I'd say she was falling hard."

"It's hard when someone you're in love with crushes you, for whatever reason, especially if it's not Willow's fault. I mean she thought Tara was dead, how crazy is that." Zoë laughed as they came around the side of the school and heard the squeak of metal on metal, a noise she recognized as being a swing of some sort.

"Hey Kenny." Faith tried to not act as irritated as she was as they entered the sandy area of the playground. "Having fun?"

"Piss off, leave me alone." Kennedy didn't stop swinging.

"If you didn't notice you're in deserted Sunnydale and the sun's going down." Faith moved over closer seeing the bottle of champagne she had cradled between her legs. "And trying to take on vamps or Bringers when you're drunk is never a good idea."

"I'm not drunk, I'm easing the pain." Kennedy growled.

"Either way come on back to the house." Faith made a sweeping motion with her hand.

"I said piss off, I'm not going back there with 'Her' playing house with 'My Willow'." Kennedy hiccuped and pointed to herself.

"Kennedy, come on." Faith glared at her. "Look we can drink more at the house but we need you behind the shield."

Zoë stood back giving them both space enough to talk, as she kept a vague eye out.

"Yeah another thing Tara the wonder witch swoops in on her broomstick and fixes." Kennedy pushed off the swing and staggered a little, dropping the obviously empty bottle to the floor.

"She's trying to keep you safe." Faith moved over to try and help her.

"Yeah well maybe I don't want her to bother." Kennedy pushed at Faith's hands. "Maybe I don't want any of you to bother."

"Hi Kennedy." Zoë realized that Faith was about two seconds from just pushing the SIT down on her ass. "I don't know if we got introduced, I'm Zoë." She stuck out her hand.

"Another super witch from Italy." Kennedy just stared at her hand.

"I wish, I'm not much of a witch... well I'm sorta a potential witch. Heavy on the potential low on the witch." Zoë shrugged.

"Well welcome to the world of not quite good enough." Kennedy leaned forward and limply shook her hand. "Now piss off and take Faith with you." She pulled back and staggered off in the direction of the slide.

"See I really can't do that." Zoë followed her a few feet behind. "And I don't think Faith will leave either, so it's the three of us going down or home together."

"What the hell does any of this have to do with you?" Kennedy snapped, stumbling as she attempted to climb the steps.

"It has to do with us because right now you're hurting and the last thing we want is for you to turn up another dead statistic tomorrow." Zoë watched her.

"Kennedy you're going to crack your fucking neck up there." Faith shook her head.

"Nah, wonder witch will swoop down and save me." Having got to the top Kennedy balanced on the top step on one leg.

"Why would she when you're acting like an ass?" Zoë questioned rather bluntly even making Faith cough with the unexpected comment. "You're the one who was supposed to be loving Willow while she was gone and all you've done is act like a child who had her toy stolen. Maybe if you really loved Willow at all you'd think of her instead of yourself for even a minute."

"Who the fuck are you to be talking to me like this? I bet you have a honey just waiting for you to get home from your little messenger job." Kennedy snarled.

"Actually Kennedy I know just how you feel, accept my honey didn't leave me for someone she was still in love with she left me for a two bit actress who is probably just using her for a few moments on her way to wherever." Zoë snapped back. "So you and your pain aren't the only pain that exist in the world."

Faith watched them both with curiosity, all she hoped was that Zoë could get the potential at least close enough so that she could pick her up and carry her drunk ass home.

"Why the hell didn't you fight for her?" Kennedy barked down at her slowly dropping down, letting her legs rest on the slide.

"I did, I slogged by ass to England trying to get her to see and then it dawned on me Kennedy. It wasn't the other girl's fault and most of all it was Beth's choice." Zoë looked up from the bottom. "And what was I gaining by stalking her like some crazed idiot? Nothing... the only way I could prove to her I loved her was to let her go on her little way and if one day she figures out I'm the one I want then I'll make my choice then."

"Yeah well fine, that's what I'll do." Kennedy pushed down the slide, falling off the bottom but scrambling up. "I'm going to go wait for Willow."

The potential began a gentle swagger down across the play grass.

"Kennedy, you're allowed to be upset." Zoë followed her with Faith in tow.

"I'm not upset, I'm going to get her back." Kennedy shook her head.

"Hold on that wasn't what I said." Zoë caught up and put a hand on her shoulder stopping her. "I said you have to let her make her choice."

"Yeah I'm gonna give her a choice." Kennedy slapped her hand against Zoë's.

"What choice?" Zoë pulled her hand back.

"Kennedy watch it." Faith warned her to lower her aggression.

"Tara or me." Kennedy announced. "I'm her knight in shining armour, she's just forgotten that because of the distraction."

"She's already made her choice." Zoë informed her sadly. "You heard her, they're engaged Kennedy."

"No problem I'll up the offer." Kennedy weaved a little before correcting her path.

"Okay Kenny you're about down." Faith moved over to help her walk.

"No, no I'm fine." Kennedy pushed on. "I'm gonna go in, ask Willow to marry me. Show her I can do serious."

"That's a stupid idea." Zoë moved in front of her. "Unless you want to get your heart broke even more."

"What do you know about it?" Kennedy came to a staggering stopped looking at Zoë. "Willow might agree, might think about it."

"Kennedy I'm going to say this too you in the hopes of stopping you from making a total fool of yourself, the only thing you're going to find when you go back to that house is..." Zoë looked at her softly. "Willow and Tara making love or having just finished."

"Ah but there you go, that's why she's winning, I have to get Willow to understand that someone else can be just as good as Tara." Kennedy patted Zoë's shoulder hard.

"By what having a sex off?" Faith laughed sarcastically.

"No, this isn't about sex. This is about their hearts, and their hearts are with each other Kennedy." Zoë kept Kennedy's shaky stare.

"How the hell do you know?" Kennedy snapped.

"Because they are unicorns and their hearts reach out to each other, weave together. They mate for life, there is no pulling them apart, not while they both live." Zoë informed her sadly. "I know I sound crazy Kennedy but this is the only magic I can see, what people are, how they interact sometimes."

"And you think I'm drunk." Kennedy laughed and looked at Faith shaking her head, she turned and began staggering again.

"You're an eagle Kennedy, you've spend your whole life sheltered in a nest that you couldn't wait to get out of and then, just when you got to fly you found the forest wasn't yours. There were bigger eagles and other predators, even willing to take on a creature as mighty as you." Zoë followed her. "And then you met a magical creature, who you thought could help you fly higher and farther than anything. But she's not the one Kennedy, if you stay with her you will plummet out of the sky and die broken on the ground."

"You're crazy." Kennedy tapped the side of her head. "You'd better take her home killer." She looked at Faith before staggering on.

"No, I think she's got you about right." Faith followed behind her making sure Zoë was following them.

"I'm not some crummy baby bird." Kennedy stopped.

"I never said baby." Zoë contradicted her. "That would be like calling Faith a baby tiger."

"Hear that killer, you're just a pussy cat." Kennedy laughed hollowly.

"Do you listen to anything anyone says?" Zoë asked her actually getting pissed off. "Or do you have this filter that makes you hear only whatever warped thing you want that suits your little tantrum at the time?"

"Piss off." Kennedy growled.

"Why you going to call me names? Hit me?" Zoë challenged. "You don't want to be a baby bird, then stop acting like one who just got her worm pulled away."

"You want me to hit you because I can." Kennedy took an unbalanced stand.

"Kennedy stop being an ass." Faith warned her.

"Oh I'm not an ass, I'm an eagle." Kennedy stretched out her arms making birdcalls.

"Okay, enough." Faith walked up hitting her with a precise solid punch that knocked her out right away. She caught the SIT's body as it slumped throwing her over her shoulder.

"She's the first ass eagle I've met." Zoë waited till Faith was ready and started walking.

-x-

"I'll put her on the couch." Faith eased both her and Kennedy through the door as Zoë held it wide for them.

"God lord was she attacked?" Giles was at the door in an instant, shooing the two potentials of the couch so that it was free.

"She fell down, she's drunk." Zoë put forward as she closed the door behind them.

"Oh." Giles moved back slightly.

"Will she need a bucket?" Andrew got up and moved to the kitchen.

"I think she'll sleep it off." Zoë answered honestly. "Faith you should just put her down in bed, can someone watch her for a bit?" She looked at the other potentials.

"I can watch her right here. Hey geek boy are you supposed to move off there?" Faith called to Andrew who quietly crept back to the chair.

"She doesn't need a babysitter Faith." Zoë shook her head. "She just had a little jolt, I think the champagne is keeping her out."

"Yeah but why make the rest of the girls who've had a good day have to suffer because of her." Faith shook her head. "I can watch her, no worries, though this could be me officially sending you lot off to bed. B patrolling is she?" She glanced at Giles and then threw a blanket over Kennedy.

"No, I believe she went to bed early. With the shield she's been able to get a few hours sleep." Giles shook his head. "Now come on girls, we can make everyone cocoa then head to bed it is fairly late."

"Okay so maybe I can't watch her." Faith pushed up from the floor where she had dropped. "Giles get them organized, I'll only do a quick one."

"Do you want me to watch her?" Zoë asked Faith.

"Thanks. I'll only be an hour or so." Faith nodded.

"Be careful, I still want a tour one day to see these creatures." Zoë smiled and moved over to tuck Kennedy in.

"Keep talking like that and I might just think she had a point about that little thing." The dark haired Slayer tapped the side of her head grinning as she walked to the door.

"I never said she was wrong." The Canadian winked at her.

-x-

Buffy didn't so much wake up as suddenly feel that her right leg was asleep, as was most of her right side. The annoying sparkling feeling throughout the muscles and skin made her ungratefully become more and more conscious. As she did she remembered the reason why she hadn't just rolled over into a new more comfortable position.

She tried to untangle her hand from the soft hair she had threaded it into, her other running down over the now chilled skin of Owl's back. She turned her head slightly to see that it was almost two thirty in the morning and the house was completely quiet.

She smiled waking up more and realizing first that Piper's hips were still over hers and Myst was somehow still pressed inside her, though her body now had gotten completely used to the feeling. Piper was using her left breast as a pillow while her right hand was cupped around the right almost protectively.

Buffy's hand snagged slightly as she tried to ease it out of Owl's hair, making the potential groan light and flex her body. The flex in Owl's body pushed against her hips and inside her, the sudden movement making her groan back.

"You're cold Piper." Buffy whispered trying to rouse her enough to help move the potential off onto her side so that she could work at getting some blankets over them.

"Mmmm Buffy." As she stirred more, Piper pressed kisses on her pillow. "What time is it? It's so quiet." Keeping her body somewhat still as she woke up more she did lift her head slightly looking up at the Slayer.

"Two thirty in the morning. I guess everyone's asleep." Buffy saw the potential's sleepy eyes and her tousled hair. "Just like you will be again once I get you wrapped up in a blanket."

"Why are you awake?" Owl blinked more and carefully moved her hand to brush against Buffy's warm cheek.

"My leg woke me up, it fell asleep." Buffy smiled softly and tried to wiggle the limb that was trapped under Owl's body.

"Oh God I'm sorry let me..." Owl was about to just push up when the cold metal buckle on her hip from the harness lightly pressed against her skin. "Mmmm okay I just remembered where I feel asleep." She smiled at Buffy.

"You did." Buffy continued to smile as she reached up pushing wild hair behind Owl's ear. "Not that I'm complaining." She brushed her finger down Owl's nose.

"Is she uncomfortable?" Piper asked her voice incredibly soft as she moved to put her arms either side of Buffy's body.

"I would have thought she'd be after so long but she's not." Buffy shook her head watching the tender way her lover made the enquiry. "Feels warm inside." She admitted.

"Shall I ease her out?" Owl dipped her head and kissed Buffy's collarbone lightly moving her hand to stroke the Slayer's arm near where it rested.

Buffy nodded closing her eyes and focusing on the warm lips that touched her skin trying to keep her body completely relaxed.

"I won't hurt you." Owl promised as she kissed across the Slayer's collarbone and then up her throat. Still keeping her lower body still, she placed her lips over Buffy's kissing her tenderly as she slowly eased one hand onto Buffy's hip beneath her.

"I know." Buffy whispered bringing her lips back for a moment before she kissed her again.

Stroking her thumb over the skin on Buffy's hip and kissing her gently Owl carefully eased her hips back a little testing the tightness of the Slayer's body around the warm silicon inside her. Feeling it ease back with the move Piper shifted carefully and eased her inch by inch free, pausing slightly as the larger head reached the last ring of muscle, to work it free from her lover. Instantly the taller woman eased her body to the side of Buffy's so that the parts that lacked unrestrained blood flow could begin to work back to normality.

"All done." She broke the kiss.

"Mmmm mmm..." Buffy groaned softly as the potential's lips moved away from her own. "I miss her already."

"She misses you too." Owl smiled and reached her hand round to the buckled on the hip that she wasn't resting on. "Really though, you're okay, no pain, no discomfort of any kind?" She checked as she worked one handed to unfasten that side.

"Probably very much in need of a shower." Buffy giggled lightly as she shifted onto her side-facing Owl, flexing her leg so it would wake up. "But other than that... Wonderful." She leaned and kissed Owl again. The dark quiet night just made her feel so relaxed.

"How about a bath, I could run you one?" Piper offered turning on her side away from Buffy briefly to unfasten the other buckle.

"How are you doing? You had that on for hours." Buffy worried when she saw the red imprint of the rubber into Owl's skin. She reached out soothing her hand along it.

"I'm okay." Piper felt a shiver race through her at Buffy's touch, her breath caught lightly in her throat as the shiver cantered where she was about to ease the harness out from.

"You're not your cold." Buffy worried when she saw the shiver. "I could run you a bath, or just get the blankets up over you." She continued to rub her hand on the sore looking patch of red skin.

"I'm not cold Buffy." Owl shook her head she moved her hand and stroked it over the back of Buffy's hand where it touched her skin, leaving the harness laying loosely off her sides but still caught between her legs. "That feels nice." She added her fingers matching the motion of Buffy's against her skin.

"If you're not cold then..." Buffy found her own questioned being answered as she felt her legs slide over each other making her own body shiver. "We could take a bath together." She made the very soft offer.

"If you'd like that." Owl nodded softly.

"What do you want?" Buffy waited until Owl rolled back over, straining in the dim light to see the potential's dark eyes.

"To look at you, to touch you." Owl replied honestly reaching out to stroke Buffy's shoulder.

"Not sick of me yet?" The blonde couldn't keep the disparaging comment from slipping from her mouth, she just couldn't believe Owl was still here. Couldn't believe she wasn't rolling over at the first opportunity and going to sleep.

"No, not sick of you." Piper smiled and kissed her. "But if you need me to go, you need space or anything, I get that, I can go sleep on the floor or even the landing."

"I..." Buffy felt herself hesitating, she could feel something different. The scariest part of that was the part was that she could feel it, it sat heavy and yet weightless in her body, inching up to cover her mind with the thoughts that accompanied the feeling. She didn't know for sure what it was, or even when it had started but it was there and it wasn't dimming. "I just want to be here with you." She reached up tracing the line of Owl's throat.

"Let me get out of this." Owl leaned in again and kissed Buffy before pulling back and slipping off the bed, stripping completely before moving over to the small beside lamp, she flicked it on and then knelt by the bed. "Need anything?" She asked pressing a fingertip across Buffy's brow and then round her ear.

"Come back to bed." The blonde heard the soft plea escape her, tracing her eyes over Piper's face.

"Of course." Instead of expecting the Slayer to move Owl slipped around to the other side of the bed, laying down, bringing up the light top sheet to cover them, she took a moment to press it around Buffy's body.

Buffy felt a strange anticipation fill the room as the cotton settled around her with Owl's hand. She leaned back into the potential's body closing her eyes for a moment, not sure what was going to happen or what she wanted to happen.

Very gently Owl slid her arm forward laying it softly over Buffy's stomach, rubbing there lightly with dancing fingertips. Moving her face close to Buffy's head Owl just drew in soft regular breaths breathing her warm breath over the Slayer's hair and ear.

"Are you tired?" Buffy whispered her eyes staying closed as she felt a warm wave run down her spine.

"Not particularly." Owl shook her head. "Tara's spell was great, she said it wouldn't fix the ribs but would make then more or less pain free until they did heal, and as for the hand." She wiggled it, not sure if Buffy had seen that there was only a faint red scar line over her palm.

"Tara did that?" Buffy reached up, freeing her hands from the sheet to take Owl's hand inspecting the thin line. "I'm glad it doesn't hurt anymore." She rubbed her thumb over the potential's palm.

"She said it might hurt occasionally, like a phantom pain or something but that it'd be fine. She said, and I quote…'Flesh wounds I can deal with'." Owl watched the motion of Buffy's thumb. "Has she always been so, you know mystical?"

"Not in a heal wounds way. Apparently she trained a lot in Italy, she thought maybe the evil here would be Willow." Buffy admitted softly, still caressing the potential's hand. "When Willow though Tara had been murdered she lost her mind and tried to blow up the earth."

"Hey me torching our apartment and getting the hell out of there to come her and kick the First's ass seems kinda mild in comparison." Owl smiled, though it was obvious that the subtle reference to her dead lover caused her pain.

"You torched your apartment?" Buffy was forced to turn over looking into Owl's face seeing the pain and anguish there easily. "Oh Piper." She held the potential's hand to her body cradling it.

"I'm not sure I can deal with sympathy Buffy." Owl warned. "I might do something retarded like cry."

"I wish I could have saved her for you, even if that meant you wouldn't be here now." Buffy whispered not releasing her grip or the constant stroking against the back of Owl's hand.

"They'd have got her sometime." Owl shook her head, something in her eyes turning angry. "She was an easy target with just me to keep her safe. The Council... they didn't care if we lived or died."

"The Council never cared about anyone but the Council." Buffy reached one hand up massaging her fingers into Owl's temple. "They should have never made her choose you or them. It was wrong."

"That's nice." She whispered as she closed her eyes and took a few calming breaths.

"You're probably not ready to hear this." Buffy kept up the gentle motion her voice shaky. "But any, all of the time you got to spent with her without them there to look over your shoulder. That they walked away and left you two together, it was a blessing Piper. If you'd have been called, been the Slayer, they'd have never let you just be, never left you alone."

"Haven't you ever been happy?" Owl asked moving her hand up to rest on the gently rise of Buffy's hip

"Since being the slayer sometimes, a few hours, sometimes a few days." Buffy began to guide her fingers in the other direction on Owl's temple. "In between the world almost ending, hordes of endless vampires every night, everyone I loved being threatened constantly."

"And next, when you beat this, what then?" Owl slid her hand over and down onto Buffy's stomach.

"I kill vampires and wait for the next apocalypse." Buffy laughed sadly. "The First one you stop you think wow that was cool and now its over, but then another one comes and another one comes. It never ends Piper."

"It could, you could ask Faith to stay, move away..." Owl offered some suggestions.

"I tried to run away once, but they're everywhere. You just can't turn your back on it, it won't let you." Buffy shook her head.

"Well, you know, if I make it through this, I could always, stick around maybe." Piper offered casually.

"You like the idea of constant danger and witchy healing?" Buffy stopped from blurting out just simply 'why'.

"Not particularly, but I do like the idea of being close to you." Owl replied softly.

"I like that idea too." Buffy felt her stomach flip flop inside her body, more from the words this time than the soft touch of Piper's hand.

"Are you tired Buffy?" Piper slid her hand back over the Slayer's hip.

"I've had five hours Piper, I didn't sleep that much last week." She answered honestly feeling her hip press into the potential's hand.

"Are you sore?" Piper ran her hand back over Buffy's stomach and down a little her middle finger curling around trimmed blonde hair.

"I don't feel sore." The Slayer shook her head feeling her hips instantly press into Piper's hand. "One good thing about being the slayer." She admitted gently.

"You shouldn't have let me go to sleep, I wouldn't have left her inside that long." Piper frowned softly as she rubbed over and over Buffy's stomach.

"Having her there meant you stayed close to me." The blonde admitted the small fact. "I was very comfortable, well until my leg fell asleep." She smiled. "And then I got to wake up to beautiful you."

"I'm not beautiful Buffy, I maybe be something's but not beautiful." Owl smiled but shook her head. "It was amazing to wake up there."

"Hey listen to me." Buffy fought against the dismissal of her words. "I know what death looks like, what it feels like... I know what evil is, and ugliness. You are beautiful Piper." She leaned in kissing her.

Owl moaned softly and slid her hand round the Slayer's back and pulled her closer pressing her tongue against Buffy's closed lips as she did. Buffy's lips parted slowly, enjoying the feel of the potential's exploring tongue before it finally pressed into her mouth swirling around her own. Her fingers curled around Owl's ear, caressing over and over as her entire being became about the hot contact between their mouths. Finally Owl pulled back, a little breathless.

"You see now that, that was beautiful." She underlined.

"Don't go back on the I'm not beautiful thing." Buffy warned giving her a look to back it up. "Or I might make you go run that bath for me and not do this." Boldly Buffy slid her hand down, threading her fingers into trimmed dark hair and cupping the warmth there.

"I'm not going back on anything, don't stop." Piper moaned softly.

"So you agree you're beautiful?" Buffy gave her a second to clarify as she ran her fingers back and forth in the soft bristle hairs.

"I agree that we both are." Piper smiled with her response.

"You're smart." Buffy smiled back as she let her fingers run in circles for the first time really letting herself explore Piper's body without hesitation or worry. She pressed and caressed watching how each subtly different motion changed how she reacted.

Owl moved softly and groaned gently, her body moving slightly as Buffy touched her.

"We could have a shower, together, doesn't take as long as a bath, but it might give us renewed energy for fun afterwards." She offered.

"I think you just like having me naked and wet." Buffy smiled and then blushed when she realized what she had said.

"I so can't deny that Buffy." She shook her head

"Then lets go have a shower." Buffy smiled more. "I like you that way too."

-x-

AUTHOR NOTE : Well that's a third of the story up and posted - not bad for one night - I promise to get to work on getting the rest of it up after or before work tomorrow


	14. Chapter 14

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Fourteen.**

Buffy carefully adjusted the temperature of the tap before she flicked it up to the shower, the hard thumping of the water against the tub filling the room. She turned looking to see as Owl finished lighting the last of the half-burnt votive candles they'd found on the side.

"How's the water?" Owl asked smiling.

"Hot, I think I've discovered the best time to take a shower in this house."

Buffy smiled back. "You ready?"

"I think so." She nodded licking her lips, loving the way Buffy looked in the candlelight.

Buffy continued smiling as she slipped the curtain back and moved in groaning when the hot water struck her body.

"Mmmmm now that's a noise I love." Owl walked a little closer.

"Mmmm it's so hot, I forgot what hot water was." Buffy turned letting the stream slide down over her tipping her head back to soak her hair.

"You know I could just stand here watching you and I'd be happy." Owl smirked.

"But you wouldn't be clean or enjoying the hot water." Buffy teased flicking out a few droplets.

"Maybe not, but I'd have my fourth orgasm in as many hours." Piper grinned.

"Five." Buffy stuck her head out smiling. "You lost count." She pointed out feeling very, very proud of herself, after all when before could she have ever boasted that feat?

"Hey I'm impressed you managed to keep a tally." Owl arched her eyebrow.

"I always keep track of things that are important to me." Buffy picked up the body wash and soaping it up in her hand began to wash herself slowly.

"Then you need to add the one I had this afternoon dreaming about you to the list." Owl winked.

"What happened in your dream?" Buffy asked feeling bold as she lathered down her arms.

"You and I, making out, hot loving." Owl listed.

"So why aren't you getting in here to wash my back?" Buffy questioned her with a smirk.

"Because right now I'm as wet as the shower is." Owl shifted in her place a little.

"Get in here Piper." Buffy turned rubbing suds down her stomach.

Chuckling softly Owl took long strides to the shower and got in moving her hand to rub over where the suds still lingered a little.

"I don't like it when you make me wait." Buffy pointed out stepping closer.

"Sorry." Owl smirked, reaching to draw Buffy closer.

"Don't, I know you do it on purpose." Buffy looked up smiling at her. "Letting me think, decide what I want before you press any choices on me. I know what you do Piper."

"I like you in control and comfortable." Owl admitted.

"And what else do you like?" Buffy took her soapy hands running them down Owl's shoulders.

"I like touching you, I like watching water stream over you hot body." Piper replied. "I like the taste of your skin, the smell of your heat."

"The way we move together?" Buffy questioned picking up the body wash and getting lots on her hands, making up stiff bubbles before she began washing Owl's breasts.

"Love that, whether it's slow and sensuous or harder and less rhythmical." Owl moaned gently as she spoke her body responding to Buffy's touch.

"And you liked being inside me with Myst?" Buffy whispered as she wiped around hard nipples.

"God I loved that." Owl admitted with a growl.

"Me too." Buffy admitted letting trails of bubbles slid down Owl's stomach, catching in short hairs before they slid down her legs.

"You did didn't you?" Owl checked her voice dipping lower.

"Yes." Buffy nodded. "I... before I met you I would have never believed that I could have enjoyed something like that."

"They always say you should learn something new everyday." Owl winked and widened her stance a little letting suds slip down her inner thigh.

"Have you learned anything?' Buffy questioned letting her fingers following the bubbles downwards.

"Yes." Owl nodded her breath catching slightly.

"What?" Buffy questioned her fingers working the soap into Owl's hips before dipping to cup between her legs making more bubbles with her fingers.

"Mmmm, mmm" Owl groaned in time to the rhythm with which she pushed her body forward into Buffy's hand. "That you're even more amazing than I thought you were."

"Well I know one thing you learned for sure." Buffy grinned as she dipped her middle finger up sliding against Owl's centre.

"Ahhh what's that." Owl gasped out in a short pant.

"I'm not as straight as you thought I was." Buffy growled flicking up against it harder.

"Oh believe me, I never thought you were straight." Owl shook her head. "You're way too beautiful to be straight." She smirked, letting her breath out in short hot gasps as Buffy touched her.

"Oh you didn't." Buffy questioned sliding her finger around and around as she explored Owl's wet soapy body.

"Well I hoped you weren't." Owl admitted rolling her hips a little.

"So you made a point of gallivanting around in your boxers as much as possible in front of me?" Buffy reminded her pressing her finger up under the sensitive hood and then swirling in tight.

"I like my shorts." Owl's teeth caught hold of her lip as her clit stiffened and throbbed.

"Admit it, you like strutting around. You know how good your body is." Buffy wiped the bubbles down off one of her breasts lowering her lips to the water stiffened nipple.

"Mmmm." Piper couldn't stop the grunt and moan that the movement caused inside her. "I… I like to keep in shape."

"Mmmm I can tell." Buffy swirled in the other direction matching it with her tongue.

"Then again you can talk." Owl tried to keep her concentration. "With all your strap tops and see through look at my gorgeous body tops."

"I do not flaunt." Buffy pulled her lips back. "Are you saying I flaunt?" She flicked her finger faster.

"No I'm saying you're gorgeous." Owl gave her a charming smile, her hips pushing forwards and back in time with Buffy's movements.

"Mmmmm thank you." Buffy stretched up and kissed her.

Owl kissed her strongly in return, sliding her hands onto the Slayer's slender hips and gliding them up and down the curves of her hips over and over.

"You're beautiful too." Buffy broke the kiss slipping her hand lower to press two fingers into Owl's dripping body. Owl groaned loudly and her hips flared forward as her hands tightened on Buffy's hips. Her tight body clinging instantly to Buffy's fingers. "I figure I should get you really in need of a shower." Buffy teased as she pumped her fingers in and out easily.

"By making me all hot and sweaty?" Owl shivered with pleasure.

"Yes." Buffy nodded slipping in a third finger boldly and moving her hand down to encourage Owl to brace her foot up on the tub side. In instant agreement Piper lifted her leg and put her wet foot up onto the tub edge. "Too much?" Buffy checked softly as she pressed her fingers in and up before she pulled back out completely only to press in again, the potential's wet and soapy pussy making the manoeuvre easier.

"No, its fine, its more than fine." Piper released one side of Buffy's hips to brace her arm against the wall.

"I have small hands." Buffy pointed out using the strength in her fingers to brace them outwards stretching muscles deep inside and using her middle finger to rub against the delicate but amazing spot she had first found.

"Ahhhhhhh oh God Buffy." Owls hips thrust forward and danced as Buffy toyed inside her.

"Mmmm my spot." The Slayer smiled as she found it easily, pleased with her memory. She rubbed over it strongly feeling the press against her outer fingers.

"Mmmmm maybe we should forget the shower, go back to the room and you can wear Myst." Owl panted her eyes blinking closed, her breath coming out in fast pants as she felt her body trembled and clench.

"After the shower, you're not distracting me again." Buffy growled slipping her fingers together again to stroke in and out of her body fast as she dipped to suck hard on a taunt nipple.

"OOooooohhh Goddddddddd." Owl tightened unbelievably hard inside gripping Buffy for all she was worth as she panted fast and hot.

Buffy kept up the fast pace, her tongue winding over and over as she curled her thumb up bumping it into the potential's centre. Owl's fingers curled, as if literally trying to find a grip within the tiled walls, as she felt her body spark and tremor.

"Christ Buffy, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" She tipped her head back into the water flow as her orgasm pulsed out of her exploding body.

Buffy drew out the orgasm into a long flooding wave of pleasure, waiting until she felt Owl's legs starting to quiver and go weak before she slowed and pulled out.

"Now you need a shower." She grinned feeling very wicked.

"God you're good." Surprising herself Owl reached forward, all be it with trembling arms and lifted Buffy a little in the air and held her tight. The Slayer laughed as she hugged Owl back feeling her form rise off the tub floor. "You going to wash my back." She laughed as she carefully put Buffy down and stepped back into the full force of the yet

"Yes." Buffy smiled and picked up the body wash beginning to wash the potential's long back.

"We should shower at this time more often." Owl smirked letting the hot water soak over her happily.

"Book me in." Buffy used the face cloth to clean down her hips and down the back of her thighs.

"Mmmmm you don't have to book to be in me baby." Piper winked.

-x-

"Mmmmm do I actually have to move?" Tara turned over sleepily and ran her hand over Willow's bare stomach.

"I wish I could say no baby but by the sounds of it the house is all up which means First focus begins." Willow snuggled closer.

"Did you want breakfast in bed sweetie?" Tara kissed the top of red hair.

"Mmmmm I could, I mean I can start doing more research on the staff in bed right?" Willow pointed out.

"Easily." Tara nodded. "So could I." She agreed. "When I have breakfast."

"Is that a baby please get me breakfast?" Willow looked up smiling at her.

"No, no, I'm going to get my baby breakfast, what would she like?" This time Tara kissed her lips.

"Mmmmm bacon and eggs, need fuel after last night." Willow smiled wider. "Using up all that important energy."

"Sounds great." Tara eased towards the side of the bed. "Fruit juice or milk?"

"Mmm fruit juice." Willow licked her lips.

"If I'm not back in fifteen minutes its because I've had to cook for the small army in the house." Tara stood up and stretched out her slightly aching body but she reflected it was a good ache.

"I'll come looking for you." Willow smiled reaching down to picked up her laptop and turned it on.

Tara picked up her robe from the back of the door and slipped it on winking at her lover before slipping out into the hall. When Tara reached the downstairs it wasn't quite the chaos she'd expected. Most of the house had already eaten and were out in the backyard watching as Faith went through a hard workout with the new staff. She was definitely putting on a show as she jumped, struck, and flexed into a thousand different poses.

Tara stood in the kitchen for a long moment watching the dark haired slayer, she moved with a style and athleticism that was hard not to watch she was both strong and agile. A combination that made her as attractive as it did dangerous.

Nearby the group who watched Faith the tall form of the Canadian was sitting cross-legged. Obviously trying to meditate but getting no where as the dark slayer's movements distracted her focus as well.

Softly behind the blonde footsteps entered the kitchen. Tara turned around to see who it was.

"What am I missing?" Kennedy's voice mumbled the potential rubbed her hand to her temple, having not actually looked up yet.

"Good morning." Tara frowned seeing how under the weather the potential looked. "Faith is just getting a feel for the new staff." She pointed out. "Can I get you tea or something?"

"No." Kennedy mumbled again moving over to get some painkillers from the small pot next to the fruit bowl on the island. She cursed discovering it was empty.

"There's more in the second drawer." Tara advised her moving to get the things she needed for breakfast out of the fridge.

"I know." Kennedy snapped. "I have been here longer than you." She pulled the drawer open frowning as the contents clattered around in it.

Tara gave her a strained smile as she moved with the eggs and small remaining portions of bacons to the stove, taking a frying pan out of the dish rack.

"Do you have to cook?" The potential scowled as she grabbed a small bottle of water from the fridge and took some pills.

"Yes." Tara nodded. "Did you want anything?"

"Yes but you've made damn sure I'm never going to get it." Kennedy mumbled under her breath as she pushed to the back door.

"Kennedy, I didn't do anything. This is Willow's choice, if she had chose you I would have backed away." Tara said in an even unthreatening voice as she put the bacon in the heating pan.

"Yeah well its easy to say that when you've just got out of bed with her and what, are cooking her an energy building breakfast?" Kennedy spat the words at the blonde.

"Yes, I guess it is." Tara nodded softly. "But you also don't know anything about me. If it was necessary I would do most anything to keep Willow happy." She looked at the potential. "Including seeing her with a snotty, self centred brat like you."

"I don't have to hear this from you." Kennedy growled.

"But yet I have to stand around while you make comments about me and put me down?" Tara questioned her tone back to normal. "Is that what you expect?"

"What you do is up to you." Kennedy shrugged. "But Willow might not like you mouthy."

"Don't worry Kennedy, I'll tell her we talked and tell her what I said to you but it might surprise you that I haven't been trying to at least be civil to you because she asked me. I was trying to be civil because I hoped I wouldn't have a reason to not be." Tara shrugged back.

"Do you ever get tired of being so fucking perfect?" Kennedy glared at her.

"Do you ever get tired of being so arrogant?" Tara accused back.

"I don't need this." Kennedy pulled open the back door stalked out into the yard and slammed it behind her

The blonde watched her leave with a sigh, she knew this territorial stand off was far from over but right now she just wanted to concentrate on making breakfast.

"Mmmm something smells great." Buffy's voice commented as the blonde Slayer came into the kitchen dressed in white linen blouse and pants.

"Morning." Tara turned trying to shift off the feeling Kennedy had left with her. "It's bacon, I was making Willow breakfast can I make you some?"

"Any bacon left?" Buffy asked pulling open the fridge taking from it the milk and the fruit juice.

"Enough for you and her, with eggs and hash browns." Tara nodded.

"How about for Piper too?" Buffy put the two containers down and took some glasses down from the top cupboard.

"Hmmm I could stretch everything out and make omelettes." Tara offered trying to make due. "I think we'll need to go shopping again very soon."

"Sounds perfect, should I make coffee?" Buffy looked at the coffee maker.

"That would be nice." Tara smiled at her. "Did you get a good nights sleep?"

"I... I've found a good time to have a shower." Buffy blushed slightly.

"So it was you I heard at three this morning." Tara took out a bowl to start making the omelette. "I bet there was lots of hot water."

"There was, it was great." Buffy enthused as she went about making drinks. She looked out into the back, smiling more when she saw Faith had everyone entranced.

"How is Piper feeling?" Tara asked softly, hoping that Buffy would see both the obvious and hidden question.

"She's great... that is…" Buffy blushed again and looked at the witch. "You're spell was amazing, her hand is fine, and her ribs." She frowned briefly. "Something you learned in Italy?"

"Yes." Tara nodded. "It's really just a certain channelling, her body is doing the real work."

"Where's Will, I don't see her out there or is it her turn on the couch?" Buffy quizzed.

"She's still in bed, already hacking away though. She hopes to get information on the staff." Tara started beating the concoction she had mixed into the bowl.

"Ah..." Buffy smiled. "Are you going to be helping her hack as it were?"

"I'm going to feed her breakfast and then probably do some book research. You know how hopeless I am on that thing of hers, that didn't change in Italy." She laughed. "I might help Zoë with her meditation too, she tries so hard but she just can't focus enough." She glanced out to the Canadian in the yard. "I wish I knew why M wanted her here, it just makes no sense."

"She didn't choose the best non-distracting place in the house did she." Buffy noted. "You can ring her to ask I suppose, M I meant."

"The phones are out." Tara relayed softly. "Giles tried to call them last night, I think with everyone leaving the phone lines must have gone down."

"Ah." Buffy frowned. "Maybe Xander knows something about them, he's kinda handy?"

"I think this might be more of a high wire thing." Tara offered pouring the mixture into another hot pan. "I guess we'll just have to wait for the reason to come to us. Maybe we'll find something in the research."

"Here's hoping so." Buffy nodded. "Oh Tara." She added suddenly remembering something.

"Yes?" The blonde turned to the Slayer.

"I'm not pushing or anything, but Willow mentioned you were thinking of a portable protection shield, it's just I have twelve SIT's turning up in two days and at the moment I have no clue what to do with them." Buffy explained quickly.

"Oh right, the off site shield." Tara nodded. "Yes, I could work on that this morning. It shouldn't take more than a day to get ready. Then you could keep then anywhere that you want."

"Yeah I haven't thought about where to keep them yet." Buffy admitted.

"There's still our place in Anya's building." Tara pointed out. "Might not be big enough for twelve but some of them could stay there."

"Yeah, but it might cause problems with the neighbours there." Buffy frowned. "I don't want to upset people."

"Buffy, I think after what we saw in town yesterday the whole city is deserted. I haven't heard anyone or even seen a car." Tara flipped her omelette.

"God yes, Tara you're a genius." Buffy hurried over and hugged her.

"Sorry?" Tara hugged her back confused.

"The houses, next door, surely if we some how boost the battery, the shield you have around here can be extended right?" Buffy enthused.

"That would make it easier yes." The blonde nodded.

"So say if we used the house on either side, using this as the central spot." Buffy expanded her theory.

"We'd just need harnessing totems to expand the perimeter." The Wiccan thought adding to the theory. "And it would give everyone a better chance to have actual places to sleep."

"Exactly, I know the house that way have an extension, they have five bedroom. I think the one that way is three like here. Though they might have an extension over the garage." Buffy racked her brain making plans.

"I'll start on the totems right after breakfast." Tara smiled at the slayer's enthusiasm.

"You are a whiz Tara." Buffy hugged her again tightly.

"I think this is just about done, are you bringing it up to Piper?" Tara checked as she put the omelette on a plate with some bacon. "I hope you two don't mind sharing."

"No, we don't." Buffy smiled.

"Sharing what?" Owl's voice came from behind the pair.

"Breakfast." Buffy motioned to the plate. "Tara made us breakfast."

"Wow, cool." Piper dressed in a pair of tight shorts and a strap top, smiled and walked further into the room.

"And we had a great idea about using the house either side to house the new potentials that are coming in." Buffy stole some bacon. "She's going to make some portal totem's to widen the shield."

"Right after I make Willow breakfast." Tara laughed lightly as she started on another omelette.

"Even better, so does that mean less to a bedroom?" Owl asked trying to sound casual.

"It should." Buffy nodded. "And no one having to rough it in the basement."

"Can't be bad can it." Owl munched on some bacon. "Woo what's Faith playing with?" The movement caught the potential's eye.

"That's the new weapon, I didn't get a chance to tell you about it. We found a reference to it in the book that Zoë brought." Buffy took a mouthful of omelette.

"New weapon? God what else did I sleep through yesterday?" Owl rubbed her brow slightly.

"You were healing." Tara assured her. "And you better start eating or a Slayer tummy will have it all."

"Nah it's okay Buffy's hungry." Piper smiled at the blonde briefly. "You know that weapon sure looks familiar." She squinted a little at the window.

"It's great, it responds to your movements and needs and it only works for Faith or I." Buffy munched on as she talked. "It has spikes, and a shield, even axe blades."

"God really, wow I never thought it... nah it can't be." Owl shook her head picking up a glass of milk.

"Never thought?" Tara stopped and looked at the potential.

"What? Oh no nothing." She chugged the glass and put it in the sink.

"No never thought what?" Buffy encouraged Owl seeing the flash of surprise on her face.

"Its just something Shanti once told me about." Owl shook her head again.

"Please Piper, if there's something that might help." Buffy reached up putting her hand on the potential's arm. Owl turned slowly to look down at Buffy. "Please." She repeated offering her a mouthful of omelette.

Piper shook her head to the food putting her hand to her stomach slightly as if thinking about this made her feel slightly queasy.

"Sh- Shanti, once told me about this mystical weapon called the, Santermi... something, I can't quite remember." She shook her head.

"What does it do?" Buffy pushed her.

"I don't remember, God I never listened to her when I should have." Piper suddenly growled pulling away from the window.

"It's okay, that gives us something doesn't it Tara?" Buffy looked at the witch.

"Definitely, even a piece of a name means we can find something." Tara nodded.

"Yeah but not as much as if I'd actually listened." Owl shook her head. "I'm not hungry, I need to check the bike." She pushed out towards the front door.

Buffy stood there feeling deflated, her feet stuck in place. Tara slowly turned off the pan and finished serving up her and Willow's breakfast.

"Are you okay Buffy?" She asked softly reaching out and putting her hand on the Slayer's arm.

"Yeah." Buffy nodded tearing her stare away from the door. "I should go tell Giles about the clue."

"Okay." Tara frowned and pulled her hand back. "I think he's in the dining room."

"Thanks for the breakfast." Buffy picked up her plate moving through.

The blonde witch was about to say more when the distinct sound of a bike engine being started resounded from the front of the house and then with a squeal of tires the sound drifted off.

-x-

"Giles, we might have a lead." Buffy let her plate clatter as she put it down and she sat across from the Watcher. She waited for him to look up from the book he was buried in. "Owl remembered that Shanti said something about the weapon, its name Santamarsomething."

"Really?" Giles looked up. "I don't suppose she spelled that for us did she?" Giles asked in typical Watcher style.

"No she didn't remember the whole thing, but if Shanti could get info on it you can right?" Buffy pushed him devouring her breakfast.

"Well yes, in theory." Giles nodded closing the book and looking at her.

"Which should tell us what it does or where it's from right?" Buffy didn't look up from her breakfast.

"Well yes." Again he gave the non-committal answer. "But Buffy there is much you possibly don't know about Shanti or Owl for that matter."

"Like?" Buffy looked up at him trying not to snap the word.

"Unlike the majority of Watcher's Buffy Shanti was born and brought up for the first seventeen years of her life in India." He explained and Buffy ate her breakfast using it to keep from interrupting. "She was the youngest Watcher the Council has every called upon to train and work with a potential, she was just twenty two when she took Owl on."

"How old was Owl?" Buffy questioned instantly.

"Just fifteen." Giles looked down at his hands. "There were reasons Buffy."

"Yeah which you should be telling me." She added irritated.

"She was a strong, angry young woman, who needed tempering, one could say taming." Giles pointed out. "The Council felt that Shanti with her Indian teachings and techniques would be good for her."

"I'm waiting for the but." Buffy finished her omelette.

"The but is obvious and you know it Buffy." Giles replied simply.

"They got together, it can't be the first time a watcher and potential or slayer fell in love Giles." Buffy shrugged.

"The pair of them took their relationship too far, Buffy, and whereas no it is not the first time it has happened, it is a line a watcher cannot afford to cross." He scowled slightly. "And when I say it had happened before that is not accurate, never before have a female watcher and her potential engaged in such activities." He clarified.

"That you know of." Buffy huffed. "Not like the Council is really pro anything they consider out of the ordinary."

"The point of that is Buffy that the Council withdrew there advise and their support of the pair. " Giles continued. "Shanti took Owl back to India for a time, there is no knowing what teaching or mysticism she taught her there."

"There's an easy way to figure that out Giles, we ask her." Buffy pointed out and the Watcher pushed the book in front of him away. "And hello at this point isn't any training that Shanti given her going to help us? She's a good fighter."

"Forgive me for pointing this out, but wasn't that her that just left?" He pointed out.

"She wanted to check out her bike, after the accident." Buffy pushed up to stand. "Giles, the First killed Shanti. You know what it's like to loose someone you love."

"I wasn't judging her Buffy, merely pointing out the difficulty in asking her for details. And going back to you point, yes training is good Buffy, what I was referring to was that if this weapon is to be found in ancient mystical Indian texts then it is possible that we have no knowledge of it at all." Giles explained more fully.

"Seems to me that the Watcher's council has yet another flaw." Buffy accused. "They cut themselves off from the one woman who could have opened them up to a wealth of apparently unknowable knowledge."

"It is easy to stand in judgement now Buffy, I have never and will never defend the Council, but taking them apart now is not the issue." Giles pointed out.

"Why don't we just see what we can find out? For all we know info on this thing is as common as anything." Buffy picked up her plate.

"This thing that might be called sannusomehting?" Giles raised an eyebrow

"Santima... something" Buffy told him again.

"What do you suggest I do Buffy, pick up an encyclopaedia and look under S?" Giles frowned slightly.

"Hey knock knock B, sorry to interrupt if this was a big pow-wow or anything, but the girls are getting pretty antsy about seeing you wield this baby." Faith spoke from the doorway making Giles and the other Slayer look up.

"Sounds good. I need to work out." Buffy dropped the plate back down holding out her hand for the staff.

"Yeah and not liking to make a point or anything B, but Owl would benefit from seeing too, I mean I figure she's tired and all but you know, time training is ground take." Faith handed it over with a wink.

"She's gone for a ride." Buffy informed her knowing she couldn't hide the sadness in her voice.

"A ride?" Faith frowned. "B, the gas pipe on that bikes got a fracture, she shouldn't be riding it anywhere."

"The who what?" The blonde looked back at her.

"The gas pipe, feeds gas into the engine, you know that highly flammable crap that makes engines work." Faith explained again.

"I have to go find her." Buffy cursed and threw the staff back at Faith. "Giles where are your keys?"

"B!" Faith stared at the staff that was suddenly back in her hand.

"On the side but Buffy you can't drive..." He pushed up frowning as the front door swung open.

"I can't catch up with her on foot." She grabbed the keys.

"I can go." Faith hurried after her, still holding the staff.

"Fine drive." Buffy ran out towards the car.

"I mean without you B." Faith paced somewhat slower to the car. "The girls need one of us here, and I've done my bit with the twirl stick."

"Then go back in I'll find her." Buffy pulled the door open.

"B." Faith caught the door. "Now I get that this chick is hot okay, that she's distracting you, relaxing you, but there are five other girls back there that need you too, not to mention Dawn."

"Faith..." Buffy was about to snap at her but stopped herself. "Dawn is behind the shield, so are the others... I need Piper safe."

"What's going on her B?" Faith also softened her voice, looking carefully at the other Slayer.

"I... first I don't have to explain myself to you." Buffy looked at Faith feeling the usual animosity between them melt away with the unusually soft look. "Secondly I don't know... all I know is I can't handle her being hurt or worse."

"And you driving to rescue her is gonna get her safely back here? Faith smiled softly and pushed the staff forward. "I'll get her back B, I promise." She vowed.

"I'm trusting you." Buffy felt her hand grip around the staff.

"Well now there's a first." Faith jumped into he car and gunned the engine to life.

"Don't make me regret this Faith." Buffy hissed as she slammed the door closed. With a screech of rubber Faith pulled out of the drive, swung the car and streaked off down the road.

-x-

Faith geared the sports car into fifth as she hit the long highway road. The spot in the distance had to be Owl, it was the only explanation of why anything would be on the road. She only hoped that she could overtake her before something horrible happened. Another half mile she was able to pull up behind her and then as Owl slowed beside her.

"PULL OVER!" She screamed at the SIT.

It was obvious from just the position of Owl's hands on the handlebars, that the SIT was tempted to pull back on the throttle and press on harder. After what felt like a long time of looking at the dark haired slayer, Owl geared down and drew over to the sandy roadside. Faith stopped the car still in the road getting out.

"The gas pipe is cracked." She gave a distinct explanation for what she was doing.

"I didn't even notice my level was dropping." Owl pulled off her helmet and frowned as she stepped again from the bike a little.

"The exhaust is probably backing up too." Faith moved around. "I was going to go to the garage and try and loot some parts later for you."

"And then I took off like a bat out of hell." Owl shook her head running an arm around her suddenly aching side.

"I'm prone to it myself, no harm no foul. B was just in a psycho panic you were going to blow yourself up on her." Faith admitted why she'd been in such a hurry to find her.

"I..." Piper frowned slightly, "I wasn't trying to do anything… that is was…" She stopped. "You should have drained the gas tank." She admonished Faith with a side smile.

"Yeah all this shit is my fault, I'm sure if they dig far enough they'll find out I spawned the First or something." Faith laughed. "Why don't we find a trailer or something, haul this piece of shit back and get to work on fixing her?"

"She is not a piece of shit!" Owl scowled playfully. "Well okay right now she doesn't look so great, but she's a real piece of work." The potential relaxed visible for a moment before frowning again. "Could you go look for a trailer, I... I'm heading somewhere." She glanced up the long highway.

"Away from here eh?" Faith looked down the road.

"The motel on the southern approach road." Piper nodded.

"Why would you want to go to that rat motel?" Faith questioned reaching into her pocket for a pack of smokes.

"Some of my shit is there." Owl looked down.

"That's cool. We can go pick it up then hunt for a trailer. Shame to leave her out here in the middle of no where." Faith motioned to the car.

"You're not thinking of lighting up near my baby are you." Owl relaxed again and gave faith a mock scowl.

"Nah I'm waiting for you to get your ass in the car so we can get on the move and then I can light up." Faith moved around to the driver's side.

Shaking her head and smiling Owl crossed and slipped into the passenger seat.

-x-

Faith strapped down the last chain giving the small wheel of the trailer a kick. It hadn't taken them long to find one deserted in town on a broke down car. The hardest part had been getting it hooked up to Giles' rental car, but even that she had managed. A little bit of muscle later and they'd managed to get the bike up and secure on the back.

"So you got stuff you want at the hotel?" Faith questioned the potential.

"Not want exactly." For the first time she'd first been stopped Owl appeared edgy.

"Need?" Faith corrected moving into the back and pulling off two of the beers she'd 'liberated' from the closed seven eleven. She tossed one to Owl.

"More like hoping will be useful." Owl caught it and flipped it upright.

"Anything that gives the research crew a clue is super useful." Faith encouraged her to get in. The potential got in clipping up her seatbelt, Faith didn't bother as she put the car into gear and pulled out on the way to the motel.

"How's your ribs?" She asked sipping her beer as she drove.

"They've kinda taken a dip since leaving the house." Owl admitted the stiff feeling that encased her body

"The beer will help till we can get you back to magic Tara." Faith encouraged glancing at her.

"Its probably just physiological." Owl admitted taking a sip of her beer.

"Well being in Sunnydale with the First means lots of physiological pressure." The dark Slayer nodded. "You should come out and bang on a few Bringers if you're up for it, really works out the kinks."

"Yeah that sounds like fun." Piper agreed with a nod. "As does a night of loud music and copious alcohol." She laughed.

"Hey we could take over the Bronze, get the sound system going, and the kegs."  
Faith wiggled her eyebrows. "Make a real ladies night of it."

"I'm not sure that that'd be safe are you?" Owl hated to sound like a party pooper but she couldn't ignore the obvious facts.

"Okay, okay, how about we get some kegs and some speakers and have a party at the house?" Faith tried to compromise.

"Now you see that, that is my kind of idea." Owl grinned again.

"Hey we could bring in food too, maybe some chicken to BBQ up. Have a real feast." The dark Slayer got more excited.

"Live a little you mean, I like it." Piper nodded eagerly.

"The girls can only train so much and even the witches need a break." Faith finished her beer and threw it out the window. "I'm sure B would appreciate a little fun time too don't you think?"

"Yeah, it'll be great to see her relax, slip into something casual and party." Owl grinned wider still, looking out of the window taking a big swig of beer.

"We could swing by the mall, you could get her something new." Faith leaned one arm lazily over the steering wheel.

"You think the looters left anything decent?" Piper asked.

"Not much of the town is looted and I'm sure that Penny's and stuff will have security so we'll have to break in." Faith grinned. "Slayer strength comes in handy in just such an occasion."

"So we swing by my motel, pick up my shit, then hit town right?" Owl checked the plan.

"That's the plan." Faith nodded as she pulled into the hotel parking lot.

"Cool, hell looks like a world of trouble reached here too." Piper nodded out of the window to the starkly empty parking lot.

"I think everything in the Sunnydale city limits has been deserted." Faith admitted throwing it into park and getting out.

Owl pushed out to follow her footsteps confidant at first but slowing as they got closer.

"Do you want to get your shit? I'm going to check the front office for anything we can use cool?" Faith saw her hesitation and knew if it was her she wouldn't want to be crowded.

"Thanks." Owl smiled and walked towards the room she still had the key for  
taking a light breath she pushed on down the corridor with heavy footsteps  
stopping in front of the plain wood door.

Pulling out the slightly bent key card from her battered wallet she slid it over the door lock and pushed it open weakly and stepped into the room. The standard hotel bedroom was tidy and clean but the was a tatty denim jacket thrown over the chair  
taking another breath Piper walked in going straight to the wardrobe. Pulling it open, clearly deliberately not looking at anything but at wardrobe. Pulling out a large camouflaged backpack the potential hauled it over to the bed and dropped it heavily onto the mattress.

Undoing the black tie at the top Owl upturned it and literally emptied it onto the bed sending clothes everywhere. Rummaging through the essentials that covered the plan green mattress. Piper pulled free a medium sized rectangular box. Pushing back from the bed she carried it almost reverently towards the door, before stopping. She put it down on the TV unit and then walked back into the room going over to the chair. She picked up the denim jacket. It was obvious as soon as she did so, that the small article of clothing would never fit the tall potential.

Her first action was to bring the soft blue jacket to her nose and breathed in softly. Her fingers rubbing over the denim.

"We need you Sha." She whispered. "We really need you." She crossed back over to the TV unit and wrapped the box in the jacket before stepping out of the room and heading back to the main area.

"Hey lookie what I found." Faith tried to break the tension swinging the shotgun she'd found behind the front counter. "Might come in handy eh?"

"Pump action or double barrelled." Owl didn't really look.

"Pump, and a box of shells." Faith wiggled them.

"Good call." Owl nodded. "Shall we get out of here." She added eager to get far away.

"Yeah we got a party to get ready for." Faith grinned moving to the car.

"Yeah, I hope there was a decent electronics shop in town." Piper tried a large grin.

"There was, and when we get there whatever good they have left is gone." Faith put the shotgun in the back. "Did you get all that you needed?"

"I got all that might be useful yeah, thanks for being here, you know." Owl shifted slightly uncomfortably.

"No worries, we need to stick together." Faith nodded. "Are you sure you don't want any of the other stuff in there?" She glanced through the open door seeing the strewn clothes.

"No." Owl shook her head. "I don't plan on coming back here ever." She underlined.

"Then let's roll." Faith nodded that she understood and pulled open the door getting in.

Owl bounced down onto the seat after placing the jacket bundle down on the floor made sure it was safe before she tried to push it out of her mind.

"So you prefer liquor or beer?" Faith questioned pulling out of the parking lot back onto the road.

"Beer, don't you think, though does Buffy drink beer?" Owl queried.

"B? She doesn't drink." Faith filled in honestly. "Well maybe a wine spritzer at Christmas you know but other than that she's not one for intoxicants as far as I know."

"Then we should get wine." The potential nodded.

"We can get that at the store." Faith shrugged. "Anything else on the list?"

"Decent music system, food, music, ooh we could check if the electric store has those disco light things." Piper laughed.

"And strobes, I love dancing in strobes." Faith actually felt herself smile. "Fuck, I missed being at a good party. Jail sucks for that."

"Well we'll have to make tonight a good one." Piper flashed the dark haired Slayer a smile.

"Definitely, because who the fuck knows how long we got left right?" Faith screamed out the window enthusiastically.

"Anything else you'll need to make it a good night?" Owl asked of the Slayer.

"An eight ball of Mary Jane would do wonders, I'd love to see the underage crowd stoned." Faith laughed.

"Now I know Buffy would be pissed if you did that." Piper shook her head. "I think them drinking will be enough."

"Come on, tell me you've never had a drag?" Faith glanced at her.

"You know I can't do that." Owl smiled as she shook her head.

"What? You're just saying, hell you can tell B later it was just bragging if you want." Faith leaned over and slapped her leg.

"When I was fifteen I was well on the way to growing my own." Owl grinned.

"See I knew it." Faith grinned wider. "And come on who ever got hurt with a little bit of smoke right? We're not talking coke or big H."

"Cause you've never tried that have you?" Piper smirked.

"I didn't say that now did I?' Faith shrugged with a smirk back.

"But you're a good girl now right." Piper leaned over and stole the pack of cigarettes from Faith's jacket pocket

"I'd say I was a Girl Scout, but I got thrown out for eating a pack of brownies." Faith winked at her and held her hand out for one.

"A whole pack eh." Owl winked back and passed her one.

"Then a pack of boy scouts." She laughed as she took a drag.

"And which did you prefer." Owl chuckled reclining her seat a little.

"I'm greedy I like both." Faith gave her a feral grin.

"That explains a lot." Owl flicked the ash off her smoke into the road.

"Does it?" The dark Slayer glanced at her.

"Yeah." Owl nodded. "Like why I like you, and why Buffy finds it hard."

"You've lost me Birdy, try dumbing it down a bit for me." Faith encouraged her.

"Well you're confident, sexual, strong and assured, I like that, and Buffy, Buffy should be all those things but isn't." Owl explained nursing the cigarette.

"That's cause B is the 'good slayer'." Faith explained her view on things.

"Maybe." Piper nodded. "Or maybe its just cause she's never tried."

"No one's ever made Buffy feel like sex was there to be enjoyed, with Angel it was like this huge thing that went wrong and then with cardboard boy it was this expectation. Couple in college have to fuck like bunnies." Faith shrugged. "I don't think she ever let herself enjoy anything."

"Oh I don't know." Owl looked out to the side flicking her cigarette but out.

"Do your best not to hurt her okay, not that I'm expecting you would but you know... I did enough of that too her." Faith added her voice lower.

"Why did you do it?" The potential asked bluntly.

"Do what?" The dark Slayer questioned without looking over at her.

"Hurt her." Piper replied quickly.

"Because I could." Faith answered her voice even. "Because it made me feel something."

"Okay I get that." Piper nodded. "But why Buffy?"

"You got to understand something Birdy, when I was called it was like the first thing they told me. Hey guess what you're the slayer, the second thing was you're never going to be as good as B." Faith cracked her neck. "She was like this fucking messiah to them, and then there was me this second, this not as good they expected going to die any day throw away slayer."

"Wow the council fuck up again huh." Piper shook her head.

"I'm not a great fan, they've tried to kill me about a dozen times." Faith laughed flicking her smoke out the window.

"And then they abandoned you and fed you to the wolves, or was that just me?"  
Piper shook her head.

"Left me to rot in jail." Faith shook her head. "I heard what they did to you, that was shit." She appraised in her own way. "I guess no one can expect either of us to be choked up that they got nuked."

"I hope not." Owl admitted. "'Cause I certainly didn't shed a tear."

"Wish I could have seen, you know sit on a rooftop nearby with a drink and watch it go pop." Faith laughed.

"Yeah, and cheered or something, with a banner that said 'Screw you assholes'" Piper added with a snort.

"That would have been cool." Faith agreed.

"Oh, look I spy strobes." Piper pointed out of the side of the car.

"Full stop." Faith laughed and pulled the car to a shaky stop. "Let's go." She jumped out heading for the store.

-x-

Buffy paced in front of the window looking out the front porch. Her forehead was in a firm scowl and her lips were in a solid unmoving frown.

"Coffee?" Tara softly rested her hand on the middle of Buffy's back.

"What?" Buffy jumped visibly as she turned to look at the blonde. "No, I'm fine."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Tara apologized.

"No, I'm just..." Buffy looked back out the window. "I'm kicking myself for letting Faith go after her now."

"Maybe she had to get gas or to find a trailer to bring the bike back." Tara offered reasons.

"Or they've been killed by Ubers and I'm here doing nothing to help them." Buffy scowled more.

"They'll be back soon, Faith's a slayer Buffy, she can look after herself." Tara tried to help the situation.

"She didn't take the staff." Buffy shook her head. "And it's not Faith I'm worried about."

"Owl?" The blonde checked unnecessarily.

"She was upset that she couldn't remember the name, remember what Shanti had told her." Buffy nodded still staring out the front walk.

"If anything had happened Faith would have come back, asked for help." Tara reasoned.

"Did Willow have any luck? With the reference." Buffy turned looking at Tara.

"Nothing yet, I should have ask Owl for the spelling of what she could remember. Willow is doing a wider check on the history of staves." Tara explained. "But its a bit of a race against time, with the phone lines being down, its only a matter of time before the ISDN cable goes too."

"Don't." Buffy shook her head. "I mean ask her, I don't think she remembers anything or she would have told us."

"I won't." Tara shook her head softly. "Did you want to come and help with the research?" The witch offered. "It's a little before five, I thought I could start cooking about five thirty."

"How did the totem go?" Buffy asked thinking of the other serious thing on their plate.

"We can do it." Tara nodded with a smile.

"That's great." Buffy felt one weight come off her shoulders.

"I think between us, we can extend the shield to the surrounding two houses."  
Tara explained.

"Everyone will love you for that." The Slayer nodded.

"The round bellied statue will be fine for one harnessing focus, and I was thinking about the little stone pig in the yard for the second." Tara asked for the permission.

"That's fine." Buffy nodded.

"Why don't you take a couple of SITs next door and see what's there." Tara suggested softly. "Keep yourself busy."

Buffy nodded again stiffly and moved towards the basement to round up anyone who wanted to go with her.

-x-

"Hey what ya doing Tar?" Owl's head suddenly poked round the back door and looked at the blonde in the kitchen, she was grinning brightly.

"Owl." Tara looked up breathing a sigh of relief. "Are you okay? You've been gone for hours."

"Have we?" The potential looked at her watch. "Crap we have." She suddenly lost her smile. "Where's Buffy?"

"She's next door checking out the expansion house." Tara informed her gently. "Owl, she's been worried about you." She indicated in the same non-threatening tone.

"Worried about me?" This stopped the potential's retreat to hurry around there.

"Buffy worries, it's this thing she does." Tara nodded as she went back to put more cheese on her three oversized lasagnes.

"Oh right." Piper stopped completely. "You can stop doing that by the way, Faith and I bought stuff for the BBQ, oh and a BBQ come to think of it."

"Wow, you two were busy." Tara smiled at her. "I can put them in the freezer for another day."

"We bought a few things, we thought, you know with the weapon and the good news from you and Willow, that we could have a party." Piper explained but it was obvious that she was distracted.

"I think that's a great idea." Tara was forced to admit. "Everyone needs a little time to relax, especially now we can keep the First out of the house."

"We got a music system, strobes and rainbow lights." Owl continued her list. "Oh and drinks."

"You should go get Buffy, she can help you set stuff up." Tara encouraged her.

"She won't want to see me." Piper's head dropped. "I'll just go help Faith with the gas."

"What?" Tara was thrown by the admission.

"I let her down, worried her, I'm best to steer clear." Owl explained her reasoning.

"Hey you're back. I thought I saw Faith out front." Willow came in carrying an empty cup and gave Tara a kiss on the cheek.

"Yes, they brought the things for a disco and a BBQ." Tara smiled at her fiancée.

"Thank Goddess." Willow grinned. "Now that you're home Buffy will stop pacing a big bad groove in the carpet."

"Should I go find her?" Piper asked for direction quietly.

Both Willow and Tara nodded together.

"Okay." Piper took a breath and then pushed out of the house.

"Hey Owl, you're back." As the potential walked up to the door of the five-bedroom house next door it opened and Vi walked out.

"Hey, yeah, Buffy still inside?" She checked.

"She's upstairs clearing out some of the stuff to make room for the newbies." The SIT nodded. "Is dinner on yet I'm starved?"

"Getting there, how does BBQ and dancing in the yard sound?" Owl tried to smile.

"Fantastic, I would kill for BBQ." The girl's slightly southern accent gave her away as she rushed towards the other house.

Pausing Owl backtracked to the car for a moment, picked something up and then went back to the house. Slowly entering it and heading up stairs where the SIT had indicated Buffy was.

The blonde Slayer's nervous energy was obvious as she took armfuls of clothes out of the dressers and stuff them into a closet trying to erase the leftover possessions of the former occupants.

Piper leaned softly on the doorpost watching for a moment.

"Buffy." She said quietly.

"Piper." The Slayer turned around sharply, though it wasn't anger as much as sheer relief and a measure of disbelief that she was imagining the voice.

"Let me help you with that, the ski jacket looks like its about to stage a revolt."  
She pointed at the over sized white puffer jacket.

"Why would anyone in Sunnydale need that?" Buffy commented stepping aside to let Owl deal with the unruly clothing.

"They like to go off on expensive holidays." Piper pushed and shoved it down. "Or they play dress up now and again."

"A holiday would be nice, I went skiing once when I was eleven. Dawn and I never got off the bunny hill." Buffy watched her close the closet door and went to sit down on the edge of the bed.

"I bet you just did it to stay with Dawn." Piper watched her move.

"That and I was afraid of the big hill." Buffy admitted putting her hands in her lap.

"I bet Dawn never knew that." Piper stayed at a distance.

"Dawn thinks it was because of the instructor." Buffy snorted.

"Cute was he?" Piper smiled slightly.

"Your usual blonde ski bunny." Buffy looked up at her. "Are you okay?"

"Kinda." Piper replied with a soft roll of her shoulders. "Are you?"

"Sorta." Buffy shrugged back shifting over.

"What's up?" Piper crossed and eased down on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know." The Slayer looked down at her hands.

"Can I help?" Piper gave a lopsided frown.

"Tell me why I can't be mad at you? I want to be mad at you for running out and leaving me to worry for hours and hours but all I feel is relief to see that you're safe." Buffy looked up into dark eyes.

"Because... because your heart is too big to be angry, when all you feel is relief."  
Piper replied softly.

"You didn't leave because you were mad at me did you?" Buffy asked her, feeling so weakened by the words.

"No, no Buffy no." Piper couldn't restrain her self from reaching out and cupping Buffy's cheek. "I left to... to try and make something better. Something that I messed up." She frowned at her own inadequacies.

"We can find the name Piper, you don't have to remember it. I don't remember most of the names or the prophecies." Buffy leaned a little into her hand.

Pulling her hand away Piper pushed up and went back to the door, picking up what she had taken from the car. She brought it over to Buffy and held out the jacket wrapped shoebox.

"What is this?" Buffy asked softly as she took it in her hands.

"It's..." Piper took a step back, frowning slightly. "It's all of Shanti's things, that I saved from the apartment." She turned away. "I think there's a book, a diary or something in there, it… it might help."

"Oh Piper." Buffy looked up and down between them.

"I can't look... that is you'd have to go through it and see." Piper took a step towards leaving the room. "It might at least have the name."

"Piper." Buffy put the package down softly and moved to follow her. "You did this for us?" She asked in a whisper seeing how painful it was for the potential.

"We-We bought barbeque, and music, kind of a party thing we thought." Piper didn't turn and continued to move away.

"Did you get pork chops?" Buffy tried to change the subject.

"And white wine." She stopped and turned with a nod.

"Sounds great." Buffy smiled at her softly.

"Oh God Buffy forgive me for this but..." Piper pushed forward suddenly and gathered the Slayer to her pressing her lips full onto Buffy's soft slightly open ones.

The Slayer whimpered as she was caught up and kissed, her eyes closed immediately as she looped her arms hard around Piper's body kissing her back almost desperately. Piper tightened her grip sliding one hand up to cup the back of Buffy's head, the other at her hip as she pressed their bodies together. Buffy pressed back, pushing up on her tiptoes to press even closer. Breaking the hot kiss by only moving her head back a little Piper blinked at the Slayer.

"I'm sorry Buffy, I didn't mean to make you worry." She punctuated her apology with quick kisses.

"I know... you had to... go out." Buffy kissed her back each time any thoughts of the hours of worry melting away.

"But I should have waited, should have talked." Piper kissed and continued to apologise making the kiss at the end of her sentence deep and hot as she slid both hands down over Buffy's ass.

"I'm not good at that either." Buffy groaned as she flexed against the potential's hands.

"Legs up Baby, around me." Owl encouraged squeezing her tighter. "I got you."

Buffy hopped up encircling her waist around Owl's body. Supporting her instantly Owl squeezed her hands into soft ass cheeks and walked slowly from the room they were in to the one next door, carrying Buffy over to the bed and then lowering her onto it, covering her neck, throat and lips with kisses.

Buffy groaned, tipping her head up so that Owl could reach more of her throat. Piper moaned softly and drew her tongue in a soft line round Buffy's neck breaking it with kisses over her jaw line back to her mouth. Buffy wound her hand down the Potential's back pulling at her shirt. Owl stopped for a moment and pulled back panting lightly.

"Are you sure?" She whispered tenderly.

"I want you." Buffy stated surely. She pulled it up over Owl's head giving her no choice but to pull it off.

Wiggling out of it the potential felt it fall to the floor before she pressed right back to Buffy.

"Oh God Buffy." Owl groaned pressing back to the Slayer's hot body, her lips hard over her lover's.

"Yes." Buffy pressed her hips back up, unsnapping the potential's bra and moving her hands around to massage roughly over full breasts.

"I'm sorry baby, I'm sorry." She kissed her over and over grinding her hips down pressing Buffy into the mattress.

"I know I know." Buffy pressed back with her feeling the almost desperate heat rising between them.

"You don't, you don't." Owl kissed and moved her body more desperately. "I let Sha down, and now you, I'm so sorry." She felt hot tears in her eyes as she continued to move against Buffy.

"No, Piper... honey." Buffy opened her eyes seeing the emotion on her lover's face she pulled her hand back up cupping Piper's cheeks. "You didn't, it was the First Piper not you that hurt her." She kissed her again and again her eyes open. "And I was worried you wouldn't come back, you did, you didn't let me down, you came back."

"I was never going to leave you." Owl shook her head hard tears toppled over her long eyelashes as she pressed her lips to Buffy's.

"I'm sorry I didn't have faith in you." Buffy whispered kissing her back caught between the pleasured ache that was building as they pressed into one another and the sting of tears that she felt in her own eyes.

"It's okay." Piper shook her head. "You will next time." The kiss this time was softer, less frantic but no less passionate.

"I was afraid." Buffy whispered meeting the kisses.

"What of?" Piper asked her voice hushed.

"You were going to die." Buffy's voice was almost silent.

"For you, maybe, instead of you, every time, without you beside me or near to me." Piper stopped and shook her head. "Never."

The blonde's lip shivered as she slowly brought her mouth forward, closing her eyes and spilling tears onto her cheeks as she tenderly pressed her lips to Piper's. The potential's eyes closed to as the sweet kiss lingered.

"I don't want to scare you Buffy, but I think I could fall in love with you." Piper whispered opening her eyes and catching a tear on her finger.

"Don't say it..." Buffy's voice was shaky as she pressed her cheek to Owl's. "Don't say it until you're sure."

"And if I'm sure?" Piper breathed.

Buffy moved her lips back the short distance and meshed their lips together again.

"Was that a still don't say it Owl?" Piper pulled back her voice in no way judging or angry.

"I don't think I can say it back..." Buffy breathe out of her nose looking away. "I just... I can't."

"Shush." Owl pressed her hand up into Buffy's hair. "It's ok." She lightly turned the Slayer's head back. "This might sound crazy Buffy, but I know love. I've felt it, recently, before it was taken form me and thought that hurt, it hurts so much it's hard to breath sometimes. At least it lets me know what love feels like, its still fresh for me, it's still easily open for me." She tried to explain how come it was that she was sure.

"I believe you." Buffy nodded softly.

"I know what love feels like for me." She clarified. "And I don't need you to say you love me, if its not what you feel."

"Everyone I love goes away." Buffy shook her head again.

"My track record isn't so hot either." Owl replied. "I'm 1 for 1, you?" She tried to smile.

"Much worse than that." Buffy frowned but then saw the accepting almost strangely amused look and it made her somehow feel a lot less alone in the horrible situation.  
"Are you trying to make me smile?" She reached up running her thumb over the potential's bottom lip.

"Is it working?" Piper smile extended the area the Slayer had to trace.

"Why is it every time I think that no one can understand how I feel you reach right through all of it and just know." Buffy gave her a soft smile.

"Luck?" Piper grinned.

"Charmer." Buffy leaned up kissing her again.

"Mmmmmm, do you want to finish this or go party?" Owl asked brushing her fingers over Buffy's side.

"I do want to see your party." Buffy pressed up to her. "Oh and see how good you are at cooking pork chops."

"Mmmm, so you want to go join the gang." Owl moved both hands to Buffy's hips  
and pulled her up slightly against her.

"Let them get set up." Buffy moved her hands back down to Owl's breasts. Dark eyes flared and then closed as Piper arched her back into Buffy's hands. The Slayer played her thumbs over stiffening nipples, flexing her hips up harder.

"Can we continue this naked." Piper asked hotly.

"Naked." Buffy nodded unlocking her legs.

Piper pulled back off the bed carefully and quickly stripped off the rest of her clothes. Buffy stayed where she was wiggling out of her skirt and boots, peeling off her bra and panties. Kneeling on the end of the bed Piper looked up at Buffy.

"You know I almost don't know if I prefer you in clothes, in bed naked, or in the shower." The potential smirked.

"You're gorgeous all ways." Buffy held her hand out urging her to come closer faster.

Piper reached her hand up and threaded their fingers together but drew up her body slower pausing to press her lips against neatly trimmed blonde hair.

Buffy's body pressed up into the kiss.

"Oh Buffy you smell divine." Owl breathed out softly over the Slayer's body.

"Mmmmmm do I?" Buffy questioned pressing up again.

"Mmmmmm yes." Piper underlined again. "Can I taste?" She whispered.

"Yes." Buffy groaned the soft request making her grow even wetter.

"Oh Buffy." Piper ran her hand up the full length of Buffy's leg easing it open  
as she lowered her head and drew her tongue the full length of Buffy's lips and clit.

The straight touch on her most inflamed flesh made Buffy groan loudly.

"Oh God Piper." Buffy lifted up more into the intimate kiss.

Piper let her tongue lap over and over soft hot lips then nudged lightly into Buffy's centre flicking against the hardness there. Buffy felt the harder stroke and she opened her eyes to see what her lover was doing, as she did her body went rigid and she pulled back.

"Oh please don't stop on my account." The First clapped her hands soundlessly together.

"Buffy what?" Piper panicked instantly and then flipped around standing up.  
"Get out." She growled at the apparition.

"What? No invitation to join in?" The First looked at both of them.

"Get out." Buffy pulled the blanket around her body.

"I'm not here to ruin your fun, I just came to tell you this little stay out spell you got your wicked witch to put up isn't going to work for long." The First informed her.

"Is this fun for you?" Owl put her hand on her hip staring at the form of her lover conjured by the First. "Is this what ultimate evil does for kicks? Gets off on watching people make love?"

"Actually I love watching the human form moving, responding, being aroused." The First licked its lips.

"Because you're nothing." Buffy spat at it.

"And you use her body because you know you could never be worthy of such a thing." Owl snarled. "Now get out, you can't hurt us, either of us, your words do nothing."

"I could take other forms Piper, don't taunt me." The First gave her a hard look.

"You think they would hurt me more?" Piper took a defensive stance.

"This rage against the dying of the light is getting so boring." The First sighed. "I'm going to kill you all, one by one, she'll watch you die Piper and not be able to do a thing to stop it. Then I'll kill the renegade and then her." The First smiled at them sickly. "So enjoy the flesh while you can." She disappeared.

"FUCKING BITCH!" Piper picked up her boot from the floor and hurled it with force at the empty doorway.

"It's not worth it Piper." Buffy stood up and moved over to her letting the blanket fall away as she hugged the potential. "It just wants to hurt us."

"I won't let it. Even if I die stopping it I won't let it." Owl snarled at the empty place where the First had been.

"We won't let it." Buffy reached up holding her cheek meeting fiery eyes with her own. "Together we can stop it."

"Together, yeah, all of us, as a unit we can stop it." Piper focused on controlling her angry ragged breath she blinked hotly for a moment.

"No, together we can stop this." Buffy stated again.

"Together?" Owl blinked again thankful to feel her pulse notch down.

"Together." Buffy said again moving to kiss her very lightly.

Piper took a few controlled breaths and felt the tremors in her body settle.

"Does this mean you'll dance with me at the party?" She asked looping her arms around Buffy very lightly.

"I think I can pencil you into my dance card." Buffy smiled at her. "Into all of my dance slots, well other than the cheesy traditional dance with my sister." She leaned to kiss her again.

-x-


	15. Chapter 15

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Fifteen.**

Tara busied around the long table that Faith and a couple of potentials had hauled out onto the decking near the back door. The blonde witch had rustled up salad and cheese squares, along with copious amounts of bread and buns to go with the barbeque. Not to mention the two large bowls of suspicious looking punch that Faith had concocted. One was a lurid shade of blue, the other dark green. Oh and the four kegs of beer that stood on the far end of it, nearest the new BBQ. Xander and Giles stood behind that, carefully watching the food on it sizzle and cook as they flipped it and kept it from burning. The whole yard was filled with the smell of beer and BBQ already and the party hadn't really begun.

Dawn and some of the potentials were blowing up balloons where as Faith was fiddling with a large extension socket, plugging in and testing the two strobes that she had set up either side of the large sound system. The system itself she had put on the round plastic patio table right at the far end of the garden. She'd fixed one speaker up as far as its cord would allow in the bushes to the right along the back of the yard and the other she had trailed along the left hand fence, again as far as its cord would stretch. The two round rainbow disco light balls that Owl had chosen she placed on the floor directly in front of the system, and had wired them together so they only needed one socket to power them.

It was fair to say that the atmosphere was already high as people carried things to and from the house. Cushions wrapped in big bags to protect them from getting damp, patio chairs placed carefully here and there for those who wanted to enjoy the dancing but not be part of it just yet, it looked a little like a scene from a student all night kegger.

"I'm not sure if I should be scared or not." Buffy looked at Owl as they rounded the corner of the house. "It looks like a grade school party." She laughed lightly.

"You probably should." Owl glanced at her with a smile. "Oh Buffy wait." She stopped and turned back to the car.

"What's wrong?" Buffy turned following where her tall lover was moving as she scanned the lawn for anything out of the ordinary.

"Nothing..." Owl looked up from where she opened the car door. "I picked this out for you, you don't have to wear it or anything, I just… well you know." She crossed back over to Buffy and handed her the Penny's bag in her hand.

"You went shopping? I thought the mall was closed." Buffy eyes lit up when she saw the bag.

"It was, they…" Owl stopped. "They opened especially for me." She gave the Slayer a bright smile.

"What is it?" Buffy didn't open the bag as she moved forward closer to the potential.

"It's a dress." Owl watched Buffy's move smiling more gently. "For the party." She added the explanation.

"I should go get changed then." Buffy leaned up and kissed her. "I'll see you in the backyard." She headed towards the front door with the bag swinging.

Owl just smiled more and strode into the backyard.

"Hey Birdy!" Faith popped her head up. "So much for the helping me out here!"

Owl jogged quickly over and knelt on the floor help to sort wires and flexes.

"Music." A voice announced from above as a pile of CD's was rather unceremoniously dumped on the table with the sound system.

"Spike." Faith pushed up from the floor looking at the vampire that had made the delivery. "Come on vamp, lighten up, its party night, you must enjoy a good party." She picked up the top CD and looked at it.

"I can think of better things to do with my evening." He grumbled putting his hand into his pockets.

"Come on William, you're a good guy now, you have to get with the good guy thing." Faith nudged into his arm lightly. "Come on it'll be a blast."

"Don't push him Faith." Piper glanced over her shoulder at him. "If he wants to spend the night lurking in the cellar, who are we to stop him."

"Oh no." Spike shook his head. "I'm gonna enjoy the party." He turned and walked away.

"He's such a treat." Faith watched him stalk off and moved to settle the stereo in a better place. "Hopefully he'll just drink a keg on his own and pass out."

"Yeah and if we're really lucky he'll break the deck on his landing and stake himself." Owl made a final twist with the insulation tape in her hand and plugged the two rainbow balls in. They began a gentle spin flashing their spots of colour around the yard.

"I know he and B had a thing Birdy but I don't think you got to do the jealous other thing, it's not flattering." Faith bent down plugging in the rest of the wires.

"I'm not jealous, I just hate him." Piper summed up pushing up from the ground.

"But come on he's got a good ass." Faith shrugged as she started to order some of the CD's.

"Don't ever let him touch you." Piper said looking seriously at Faith before moving off towards the food table.

Faith watched her retreat with a curious eye before she focused on the stereo again putting a selection of CD's in and getting ready to test it out.

-x-

Buffy tried to get the hasty oversized curls in her hair to frame her face properly as she came down the stairs turning the corner into the kitchen. She had to give Piper ultimate credit, the short flowing silk spring dress she had picked out fit her perfectly the scalloped edges at the bottom flowing around her mid calf. The dress itself was white with a light pattern of pink and red flowers, the whole look was very pseudo-Japanese and though she know that Owl hadn't paid for it the fact the price tag had said $459.98 made her feel spoiled.

"Well maybe this party is going to be worth attending after all." The low voice of Spike commented from the basement door. Buffy felt a shiver go up her spine when she heard the way that he hissed his words. She turned defiantly towards him. "Easy now, before you take that the wrong way, I just mean you look good." Spike offered the soft comment.

"Thank you." Buffy managed a smiled. "Owl bought it for me." She pointed out almost wanting to see what his reaction would be.

Almost not wanting to but unable to stop himself the vampire glanced over his shoulder looking at the potential, who had an arm draped over Tara's shoulder and was stealing a square of cheese off the plate she was putting down.

"She'll die, you know that, why do this to yourself?" Spike turned back looking at Buffy shaking his head.

"Because I'm not going to let that happen." Buffy met him squarely.

"You can't save everyone Buffy, when the final battle comes, its going to be everyone for themselves and you can't afford to be distracted." The blonde vampire shook his head slowly again.

"No what I can't afford to be is empty and cold inside." Buffy shook her head. "She makes me want to fight Spike, she makes me want to live. She makes me think that if I had too I could stand toe to toe with a hundred Firsts and fight, try, struggle to win."

"It's just sex Buffy, it's no different to what we had." Spike looked at her stepping forward slightly.

"It's not just sex, but I don't expect you to understand." She shook her head. "And I thought you said it was different Spike, different for you because you loved me?" She caught him on the slip.

"It was, Buffy it still is, I do love you." He reached out for her arm.

"Spike, you don't even see do you? It's not, it was just sex." Buffy stepped out of his reach. "That you're for some unknown reason obsessed with me isn't love Spike, that you let me use you over and over wasn't love Spike, that you tried to rape me wasn't love." She didn't feel any emotions in the words, not because she was empty but because they couldn't hurt her anymore.

"I didn't..." Spike frowned. "I just lost it that day, I wasn't going to hurt you." He tried to spell out calmly.

"You did hurt me Spike, you didn't have to bruise me or break me or hell throw me through a wall like you had before. That I tried to trust you, tried to think maybe you were telling the truth that you could love me, that I could be alive, that it was all just a front to have sex with me, that hurt the most." Buffy spelled out her reasons. "And if we were still together Spike and you lost it again, would you stop this time? Or would you go further to try and prove what a vampire in love can do."

"I'm here, fighting with you doesn't that at least tell you something?" Spike tried to make her understand.

"That tells me now that you have your soul back you regret what happened." Buffy nodded. "It doesn't mean you understand what you did was wrong, or even believe that it was your fault. That's not who you are Spike, soul or no soul."

"You don't love her Buffy." Spike shook his head. "You can't love, remember." The vampires anger level grew steadily.

"I can." Buffy stared at him seeing his temper flaring. "I do." She said softer hearing the familiar footsteps come in behind her through the open door and knowing without turning who would be there.

"You look beautiful." Owl slid an arm around Buffy and pressed her palm flat against the Slayer's flat stomach. "Sorry did I interrupt something?" She blinked up at Spike very briefly before pressing her lips to the side of Buffy's head.

"No Spike was just going out to get a drink." Buffy held the vampire's feral eyes. Almost on cue Faith finally got the sound system working and the evening was filled by loud-excited music. "I imagine Giles and Xander saved the blood for you too." She put her arm down around Owl's.

"You'll see, I'm right." Spike turned and jogged down to the basement.

"You okay?" Owl withdrew her hand slowly and turned Buffy to face her.

"Yes." Buffy smiled looking up at the potential. "So I look beautiful?" She smiled softer.

"You do, more than I could ever have imagined." Owl nodded softly, the heavy base of the music outside becoming slightly lost in the midst of happy banter from the SITs in the garden. "Are you sure you're okay?" She reached up and played with a curl.

"I am, he was just being his usual self." Buffy tipped her head. "He doesn't have any idea, he thinks he can still crawl inside my head... I thought so too, but know I know he can't anymore."

"I thought I should go get changed." Owl smiled and stepped back a little from the Slayer. "You should go out and enjoy the party."

"I hope you got yourself a new outfit too." Buffy reached out pulling at the edge of her T-shirt.

"Maybe." She smirked.

"Hurry up then, I want to know for sure." The Slayer moved to the back door and towards the food table.

"Hey B!" Faith gave a wide grin and jogged over. "What do you think?" She waved her arm over the yard, with its flashing lights, loud music, and five people already dancing on the grass.

"I think that it's amazing." Buffy couldn't help but smile. "I mean you've always wanted your own night club." She chuckled at the SITs already dancing.

"Well you know I always dreamed it'd have a bit more class, oh and a roof, but you know, I'll settle for this right now." Faith laughed. "Don't those two ever give it up?" The dark haired Slayer nodded over to where Tara and Willow were stood leaning against a tree there arms wrapped around each other sharing little kisses and whispers.

"No, I hope they never do." Buffy admitted softly looking down to where on the grass nearby she had lying bleeding to death that horrible day. "We have to beat it Faith. No rivalry anymore, no biting at each other, we just have to work together and beat it."

"Hey steady that's sounding kinda like a truce." Faith smirked.

"It is." Buffy turned to her offering her hand. "We can waste time and energy fighting each other Faith or we can fight the First."

"You got yourself a deal, but don't think I'm going to be sticking around to play best buddies when this is over." Faith shook Buffy's hand definitely. "Now grab yourself a beer."

"Don't think I would tell you to go away if you did." Buffy grinned as they slipped into a more comfortable confrontation. She moved over to where Xander was and helped herself to a drink.

-x-

"Everyone is so much happier." Willow smiled as she looked into blue eyes.

"Mmmm they are." Tara nodded as she blinked and breathed in contentedly. "Though don't even think of asking me." She glanced at the 'dance floor'. "I still dance like a… well like someone who can't dance." She laughed gently.

"Even if I ask Faith to play something just for us?" Willow pouted.

"Like what?" Tara kissed the pout briefly.

"Like something romantic and slow." Willow followed her lips back kissing her again.

"Mmmm I'm listening, convince me." The blonde leaned a little harder against the tree.

"Something more us." Willow pressed against her. "Maybe our song." She tilted her head to the side.

"Mmmm maybe." Tara swung them together gently.

"So." Anya suddenly approached the two of them and passed them both a plate. "Have you thought about what style your ceremony is going to be."

"We... I don't think..." Willow looked down at the burger. "Outside?" She looked at Tara.

"Definitely." Tara nodded.

"You should think about wearing green, it really suits you, well it really suited the shade of you." Anya smiled.

Willow was thrown off by Anya's blatant and obvious reference to the First's shade. She went pale as she thought about how she'd been flirting with that 'Tara' as they helped Anya get dressed and how she had saved her during the wedding brawl.

"Anya please." Tara scowled at the other woman. "Tonight's a time for relaxing and enjoying ourselves, can we not refer to the past." The blonde drew her lover closer.

"Enjoying ourselves? Before we're all slaughtered?" Kennedy barked out a laugh as she crossed to the food table from the chair she had been sitting on.

Willow listened to it all going on, parts of her mind in different directions. The horror at the memories that Anya had reminded her of, the anger she felt towards Kennedy and her hurtful attitude, the love she felt for Tara.

"We're not going to die." It was Dawn's voice that spoke over the conversation. "And Tara, our Tara, is right, tonight's about relaxing and celebrating friendship, family." The teenager crossed over and took Buffy's hand in hers. "Now anyone who cant handle that, or deal with it, well, the basements pretty empty, go down and wallow there."

Some of the other SIT's clapped encouraging Dawn. After all they wanted to forget the harsh world outside for awhile.

Buffy squeezed Dawn's hand.

"Well we all heard the nibblet." Spike strode out from the house and walked to behind the sound system. "I'll play DJ for the evening, while you all get your groove on." Spike seemed to look over the selections, pulling out the current CD and exchanging it for something he knew everyone would recognise. "Now we rock." He turned it up to ten and Billy idol started pumping through the back yard.

"Okay is undead DJ smart?" Faith questioned as she wolfed down a burger and stole another from the pile that Xander was stacking of ready ones.

"Well it's that or Giles." Xander glanced at the Watcher who was leaned back on a chair tapping his foot apparently appreciating the choice.

"Come on Zeppo, lets have a drinking contest." Faith moved over to him pouring out two beers.

"Hey, you'd better save some for me!" From the back door Owl called out. The tall SIT stepped out into the garden, dressed in a brand new pair of blue jeans, with a black belt threaded through their belt loops closed with a large sliver belt buckle, tucked into it she had a crisp white button through shirt, undone low down her breasts.

"Step it up hot birdy." Faith turned handing her a beer. "We're cocked locked and ready to party."

Buffy stuttered a bit where she was dancing with Dawn, her eyes lingering up the tall potential's body as she swallowed.

Owl took the drink and grinned, turning from the dark haired Slayer to look out to where Buffy was dancing.

"It looks great Faith." She flicked her eyes briefly at Faith.

"Yeah she does." Faith growled under her breath, she poked Owl in the side with her elbow. Owl dipped a little to the side, laughing with the dark haired Slayer.

"She is amazing." Piper dropped her voice whispering at Faith.

"She is, you better be ready to take care of her cause if you hurt her there are a whole line up of people ready to kick your ass." Faith took a long swig and put her arm around Owl's shoulder.

"She's has to want me to do that." Owl reasoned patting over Faith's hand. "And I don't think so does."

"Oh she does Birdy." Faith smiled looking sideways at the Potential. "Trust me, if there is one thing in this world I can read it's Buffy Ann Summers. The fact you got her to swing sides is indication enough you mean something big, basically the one point you have to remember about B is..." She turned to the other woman her voice lower. "She'll never ask, she's too gone on this hard core slayer doesn't need help thing. You have to push her and when you do if she does want you too she'll show you without saying it."

"Hey DJ!" Owl tipped her head up and called out to Spike. "All the things she said - the cream disc with the red writing, track 2. Coming to dance Faith."

"Definitely." Faith watched as Spike fumbled with the CD and then the hard beat and a girl's voice filled the back yard. She jogged down to the dance floor moving in with the other SITs as she started her patented sexy dancing.

"Some moves you got their faith!" Owl called over to her as she too joined the group. She let her hands rise her hips moving freely.

"Should I be jealous?" Buffy teased dancing closer now that Dawn was doing her own thing.

"You don't seem the type." Owl smirked, turning to dance towards the Slayer.

"You're the one who told me I had tension with Faith." Buffy teased doing a twirl showing off she wasn't the only slayer who could dance.

"You don't have to be dancing to prove to me you have moves baby." Piper watched transfixed.

"Don't drink to much I want you conscious later." Buffy blew her a kiss before twirling again.

Owl took a quick swig of her beer and moved to dance closer to Faith again, slightly surprised when Anya joined them.

"Are slayers born with an extra ability and gift of rhythm?" The former demon asked of Faith.

"Mine's natural talent." Faith chugged her beer tossing the cup aside and showing off a bit for her.

"Xander doesn't have natural rhythm, ever." The blonde shook her head joining the dancing.

"Do you?" Faith watched her move circling around Anya. "You need to free it, let yourself enjoy."

"I used to dance." Anya danced a little more freely.

"I can tell." Faith swung behind her, putting her hands on Anya's hips. "You need to feel."

"I'm gonna cook some pork chops." Owl winked and slid away leaving Anya who was pressing back against the dark haired Slayer moving more and more to the song.

Buffy watched her move away, dancing and giggling with Dawn and trying to ignore that Faith was all over Anya.

"I've not seen that dress before." Dawn commented as she danced along happily.

"Do you like it?" Buffy questioned doing another twirl.

"It's really nice, so when did you get it?" The brunette questioned.

"Just today, Owl picked it for me when Faith and her went shopping for all this stuff." Buffy tried to downplay the how.

"Owl, as in that Owl." Dawn took a light step closer to her sister and looked at the potential that had relieved Giles of his apron and was behind the grill.

"Do we have another Owl?" Buffy questioned glancing at her as well.

"No but... why would she doe that, did you ask her to?" Dawn frowned.

"No, I think she was just trying to be nice." Buffy admitted continuing to dance.

"Nice? Why would she want to be nice, and why is she watching us?" Dawn whispered.

"What?" Buffy asked not able to hear her.

"Oh it doesn't matter I'll go ask her." Dawn shook her head and headed off the grass.

"Make sure you don't eat too many burgers." Buffy called laughing lightly, she knew how her sister got a stomach ache when she ate too much.

Dawn nodded and shimmed her way over to the BBQ.

"Hey there, Dawnmiester." Xander grinned. "Want a burger?"

"Yes please." Dawn smiled and picked up a plate. "Can I have cheese on it?"

"Of course you can pretty lady." Owl smiled and promptly made the teenager a burger with double cheese. "There you go."

"Thanks." Dawn worked on putting toppings on it. "Buffy told me you bought her that dress." She looked up at the potential.

"Well kinda." Owl nodded, fixing herself a burger at the same time, while keeping an eye on the pork chops.

"Why?" Dawn took a bite of her burger looking at her.

"Because I couldn't buy it cause there was no teller, so I liberated it." Owl explained leaving her burger to turn the chops.

"No, I know you stole it, why did you steal it for Buffy?" Dawn put more ketchup on her burger.

"Because I thought it would suit her, don't you think it does?" Piper looking at the Slayer.

"I guess." Dawn didn't look at her sister, she kept looking at Piper. "But why did you buy it?"

"You want me to pick you something out next time?" Owl asked at the same moment. Dawn shook her head as she took another bite.

"Are you gay?" She looked at Piper finally asking the blunt question.

Owl was glad that she wasn't eating her burger at that moment of time because if she had have been she would have spat it out across the BBQ.

"Yes, I am." She nodded slowly.

"Do you like Buffy?" Dawn continued to look at her.

"Yes, I like your sister a lot Dawn." Owl nodded slowly. "Is there a problem?"

"No, just you should know if you hurt her I don't care if you're a potential, I'll use a large cudgel and squish your head." Dawn gave her an innocent smile as she took another bite of her burger.

"Use a small one, it'll cause more pain before I loose consciousness and it'll be just as messy." Piper smiled at her.

Dawn looked at her for a moment, very surprised by the comment before she gave a more relaxed smile.

"Oh I will." She nodded.

"I don't want to hurt her Dawn, believe me." Owl glanced up looking straight at Spike. "She's been hurt enough."

"She told you?' Dawn glanced over at him.

"I can't tell you right now exactly why I've not staked him, other than its not what she wants." Piper nodded slowly still looking at the vampire.

"I told him the same thing, well no I told him he'd wake up on fire." Dawn appreciated her sentiment.

"I could hold him down whilst you practice the cudgel manoeuvre." Piper looked at the teenager with a broad smile.

"I think we need him to fight the First, he's good in stuff like that." Dawn shrugged. "Have you told Buffy you like her?"

"Yes." Piper nodded.

"What did she say?" Dawn questioned her voice low under the music.

"I think you should ask Buffy that Dawn." Piper smiled softly.

"By the way..." Dawn stole a donut and moved down the steps. "You haven't sucked up enough to me yet, I have high standards."

"Noted." She called after her laughing loudly at the confident ultimatum.

Instead of moving to where her sister was chatting with some of the SITs she moved over crawling up on the picnic table behind Tara to sit.

"Can I talk to you?" She questioned softly moving to play with the blonde's hair.

"Of course you can Dawnie." She turned smiling brightly at the teenager.

"Have you noticed anything odd with Buffy?" She ran her fingers through the soft strands.

"Odd?" Tara nibbled the end of the lettuce leaf she poked out of her salad.

"Odd, did you notice she has a new dress?" Dawn began making a braid.

"I didn't think I'd seen it, but then I thought maybe I had just you know, missed it." Tara looked out at the Slayer who was dancing again.

"Owl stole it for her." Dawn filled in.

"Oh." Tara's gaze changed to look at the potential. "That was nice of her."

"She likes her." The teenager pointed out.

"Does she?" Tara asked looking at Dawn.

"Yeah I mean... like her like her, like you like Willow." Dawn leaned closer.

"I don't like Willow so much as love her completely and utterly." Tara pointed out.

"Okay so maybe not that much, but I mean in a girl liking girl wanting to kiss her way. She said she was gay." Dawn explained glancing up to she Buffy had migrated up to the BBQ and was laughing with Xander.

"Well I knew she was gay, her watcher, who was also her lover, was killed by the First a few months before she came here." Tara replied softly.

"Ohhh." Dawn looked up and gulped. "I didn't know, I wouldn't have said what I did if I'd known."

"What did you say?" Tara frowned softly.

"That if she hurt Buffy I'd beat her to death with a cudgel." Dawn gave her a lopsided smile. "She took it well though, suggest I use a small one so she suffered more."

"I think she's a nice person Dawn." Tara smiled and turned to look at Dawn.

"I asked her what Buffy said and she said I should ask Buffy but you know how she is." Dawn frowned.

"She seems in a good mood." Tara nodded over to her sister. "You could try."

"You think?" Dawn looked up to where Buffy was.

"What's the worst she can say Dawn?" Tara challenged.

"I could ruin her night, put her in a bad mood." Dawn fretted.

"No, you couldn't." Tara shook her head. "Would you like me to ask?"

"Would you?" The teenager took the easy out immediately.

"I would, if you really want me to." Tara offered, not surprised that Dawn had jumped at her offer. "Of course I would."

"I'll wait here." Dawn smiled picking up her plate to finish her burger.

Tara pushed up slowly, wondering exactly why she was doing this but a glance at the teenager told her why bright eyes urged her own with trust and complete faith.

"Hi Tara, are you ready for a veggie burger?" Buffy questioned when the blonde approached.

"Mmmm would love one thank you." Tara nodded with a smile.

"Coming right up." Xander moved to put one on the grill.

"You look lovely." Tara said quietly.

"Thank you." Buffy smoothed down the skirt a little.

"I hear it was a present." Tara glanced at Piper without moving her head.

"Yes." Buffy looked up at Piper who was discussing grilling techniques with Xander.

"Dawn's asked me to come and ask you something." Tara urged Buffy to move to the long table to get something to go with their food.

"Why didn't she come ask me?" Buffy moved over glancing at her sister feeling a little strange when the teenager avoided her gaze.

"Because I'm not sure she really wants to know the answer." Tara replied honestly.

"Tara, what's wrong?" Buffy turned to her grabbing a carrot stick.

"Well, " Tara took a soft breath. "She found out that 'a' Owl is gay and 'b' she likes you."

"What?" Buffy locked her jaw.

"Calm down." Tara whispered seeing the instant tension. "What she wants to know is what you think to that fact."

"What... what the hell am I supposed to say to that?" Buffy sputtered.

"That's up to you isn't it?" Tara replied casually.

"Is it? If I say that I like her then Dawn is going to erupt. If I say that I don't then Piper is going to think I'm ashamed of her, which I'm not." Buffy pointed out.

"Why would Dawn erupt?" Tara frowned confused.

"Because no matter what I do she erupts." Buffy frowned.

"Does she?" Tara tipped her head a little.

"You think I should be honest with her don't you?" Buffy looked at the other blonde.

"That depends, I think first you need to be honest to yourself." Tara offered assured with her own advice.

"You know me I'm not very good at that." Buffy looked down at the grass that wound up around her boots.

"Do you like her?" Tara asked very bluntly for the witch.

"I..." Buffy looked up slowly. "Yes."

"Then there's your answer, it's not harder than that." Tara rewarded her with a smile.

"Isn't it?" The Slayer shook her head slightly.

"No, its not." Tara underlined softly.

"I know this is going to come out wrong however I say it but announcing I'm in love with Owl is bound to have backlash of some sort." Buffy pointed out in a hiss.

"In love with?" Tara looked up obviously shocked. "I thought we were talking about like."

"I... I meant... I meant the same thing." Buffy turned away picking up another carrot stick.

"No, no." Tara reached her hand out and took Buffy's softly, turning the Slayer around to look at her. "Are you in love with her?" She whispered.

"I don't know what love is Tara." Buffy shook her head. "There was Angel, then Riley, and then..." She shook her head not glancing at Spike. "I don't know about love, I'm the slayer."

"Just because you are the slayer doesn't mean you don't know what love is." Tara shook her head.

"I... I think I am." Buffy whispered breathing out almost as if the admission took a great amount of energy.

"If you are, I think possibly you do need to talk to Dawn." Tara encouraged softly.

"Tara, how can I be? I've only known her for what a week?" Buffy shook her head.

"I knew in ten minutes I loved Willow." Tara replied softly.

"Really loved her?" The Slayer questioned.

"Really loved her, so much so that I fought my own shyness to talk to her." Tara nodded.

"She said she thought she was falling for me." Buffy admitted. "She said she loved me."

"And how did that make you feel?" Tara asked back, her voice gentle.

"It made me cry, I was happy." The Slayer's voice was soft.

"What did she say to that?" Tara smiled at the soft image.

"She said I should take my time, that she wouldn't feel any less because I didn't feel the same." She thought back to their intimate conversation.

Tara took a quick glance at the potential, she was having what looked like a sabre fight with Xander but with burnt sausages on the end of kebab sticks. Owl laughed loudly as her sausage flew off and landed on the windowsill. Xander too laughed and gallantly handed his over and speared another one for himself.

"No ones ever said that." Buffy looked up watching them. "Everyone always pushes me, wants me to choose."

"Would you prefer it if she pushed?" Tara asked non-judgementally. She smiled as Willow went over to join the pair at the BBQ, laughing hard at something Xander said. As she bent over she held onto Pipers arm for support, the tall woman instantly supported her carefully.

"No, I don't want her to push." Buffy shook her head. "I just want her to be her."

"I think we're seeing her." Tara noted softly.

"I don't know how it happened." Buffy continued to watch.

"How what happened?" The blonde asked as Owl suddenly nipped from around the back of the BBQ and reappeared seconds later presenting both Willow and Xander with a drink. On her way back the potential asked Giles if he needed anything. Whatever the Watcher's response was, made the tall woman begin to walk towards the house.

"She just arrived and changed everything, how I feel, how I think... I never though I would be with a woman Tara." Buffy whispered blushing lightly.

"Scary isn't it?" Tara smiled understandingly.

"Very." Buffy nodded.

"Does she know?" Tara asked as the SIT walked passed them into the kitchen.

"I think so." Buffy nodded. "I hope so." She paused. "I think I've only just started to realise myself."

"Hey there you two are." Willow was suddenly at Tara's side. "Xander said you went to get munchies and then disappeared." She leaned happily against her lover's shoulder

"We were scoring the munchies." Buffy wiggled her carrot.

"The munchies look safe." Willow laughed. "Let's dance." She said hoping that in more of a group situation Tara wouldn't be so reticent.

"Yeah get your girl out there." Buffy smiled at them. "I should go... talk to Dawn."

"But I cant dance..." Tara objected as she felt Willow's hand slip into hers. "Zoë save me." She glanced at the Canadian who was sat on a garden chair munching on some prawns.

"Well if you want to talk to Dawn." Buffy checked at the same time.

"I happen to know you can dance like the wind." Zoë put her plate down standing up and taking her other hand. "Come on Willow, tag team." She started to drag her towards the dance floor area.

"I said save me not sink me." Tara jokingly scowled objecting lightly for most of the way, by the time they got to the grass Tara was laughing and easily fitting in with the rhythm of the beat driven song.

Buffy watched them for a moment before picking up two glasses of wine and moving over to sit next to her sister.

"Hey." She handed Dawn a glass.

"Oh hey." Dawn sounded surprised to see her.

"How come you're not dancing?" Buffy questioned watching everyone nervously.

"Oh I was tired," Dawn looked down at the half-eaten burger on her plate. "And eating."

"I haven't had a chance to have one yet." Buffy admitted. "You okay?"

"There are pork chops." Dawn pointed out.

"I was just about to get some." Buffy looked over. "But Tara said you wanted to talk to me." She took a deep breath.

"She did?" Dawn looked wide-eyed at the dancing witch.

"She did." Buffy nodded glancing up at Tara.

"What about?" Dawn suddenly seemed nervous.

"I thought you could tell me." The Slayer sipped her wine tapping her foot on the bench.

"Did she tell you I talked to Owl?" Dawn looked down.

Just as she mentioned the potential's name, the tall young woman came out of the house carry a cup of what the teenager presumed was tea, delivering it to the Watcher.

"She mentioned it yeah." Buffy nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I just asked her if she liked you, and I… I just wanted to know if you liked her too." Dawn blurted out.

"I do." Buffy answered softly.

"But Buffy..." Dawn looked at her sister blinking. "You do know she's gay don't you?"

"Is that a problem Dawn?" Buffy asked her seriously. "Her being gay? Someone being gay?" She tightened her grip on the glass.

"For me?" Dawn squeaked. "Hello, best friends are engaged gay witches." The teenager frowned. "I'm so not seeing I have gay issues glaring up over my head."

"Then why does it matter if Owl is gay?" Buffy questioned smiling at the squeak.

"Because of you." Dawn replied. "I mean Owl 'likes' likes you Buffy, and you liking her too is great and fine and everything, but she's coming at it from a gay 'like' and you're coming at it from, well, Buffy like." She tried to explain.

"Well what if Buffy like was gay like?" The Slayer's voice was tentative.

"Ha, ha very fun..." Dawn stopped as looked at Buffy. "Oh my God." She squeaked in a whisper. "Are you, is she, Buffy are you gay?" The teenager's eyes were wide.

"I don't know Dawn, I just know I like her." Buffy offered honestly.

"Have you kissed?" Dawn pushed for details.

"Yes." Buffy nodded.

"Oh my God." Dawn squeaked again. "Why didn't you tell me, what was it like?" The teenager waved her hand.

"I wasn't sure if you'd be happy." Buffy admitted not sure of the teenager's reaction.

"Buffy she's funny, smart, cute, has a great bike, oh, oh, and a pulse and a heart beat, that like puts her fifteen thousand miles above the last choice." Dawn explained. "So when did you kiss, and do you think you know maybe you'll..." Dawn winked.

"I'll?" Buffy smiled not sure she wanted to guess what Dawn was saying.

"Oh I am so not saying." Dawn blushed and shook her head giggling.

"Mmmm what if I said we had?" Buffy blushed lightly.

"Oh myGod!" Dawn squeaked and hit Buffy lightly on the arm. "Wait a minute." Dawn stopped and frowned. "If you have, and 'have', then why aren't you well…" She paused again. "Like Will and Tara?" She motioned to where the two witches were dancing holding one another's hand.

"Because..." She looked up at the two witches. "Well..." She glanced over at Owl. "I hadn't told you." She admitted one reasons.

"But you have now." Dawn shot it down.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Buffy checked taking Dawn's hand.

"Well I'm going to have to think about it for a few days, you know get some good mileage out of you both." Dawn grinned.

"Dawn, please." Buffy laughed lightly. "I need to know you're okay with this, I've screwed up so much in the past. I want to do things right, as right as I can."

"Buffy look at her." Dawn nodded out to where Owl was now in the middle of a group of four SITs jumping up to catch a glow in the dark Frisbee that she had obviously brought out from the kitchen with Giles' tea.

"Yes. I know what she looks like Dawn." Buffy glanced up with a smile. "But I want to know what you think."

"No doofus." Dawn hit her leg. "I mean she seems really nice, how can I not be okay with really nice."

"Thank you." Buffy reached around and hugged her.

"Whatever makes you happy makes me happy." Dawn breathed hugging her tightly before she pulled slowly back. "Oh." She added suddenly looking at her sister "Would this be a good time to talk to you about how Andrew and I feel about each other?"

"WHAT?" Buffy's jaw feel open.

"Oh I so had you!" Dawn shrieked with laughter.

"You're evil!" Buffy shrieked back.

"It takes practice." The teenager beamed.

Buffy laughed with her for a moment and then heard a softer song playing.

"I think I have to go ask someone to dance." She smiled at her sister putting down her wine.

"Oh can I clap?" Dawn chuckled.

"No clapping." Buffy stood up. "I'm getting the impression you've been expecting this chat missy."

"Silent cheers?" Dawn did a little wave. "I've been waiting to see you happy Buffy." She added softly.

"She makes me happy." Buffy nodded with a soft smile. "How's my hair?' She fluffed at a curl.

"Curlsome." Dawn gave her two thumbs up.

Buffy gave her a smile back and moved across to where Owl was.

"Do you want to dance?" She asked when the potential had thrown the Frisbee away.

The question obviously came as a total surprise to the SIT who's head snapped instantly from watching the glowing disc fly, to looking at the Slayer.

"Are you asking me?" She forced her suddenly dry throat to swallow wiping her hands on her new jeans.

"I'm asking you." Buffy nodded holding her hands in front of her.

"I'd love to but…" Piper tuned in to the slow pace of the track playing, and a glance at the grass revealed Willow and Tara locked in a soft close dance. A group of SIT's moving off to dance together in a soft circle, with Dawn and Zoë moving to dance with them. She also noted with slight amusement, Faith trying to actually get away from Anya who wanted to dance the slower number with her.

"Piper, please, dance with me." Buffy held her hands out further.

"Buffy this is a slow touchy feel kind of dance." Piper continued. "Do you want to join the others?" She checked the Slayer's meaning, looking down at the out stretched hands.

"No." Buffy shook her head. "I want to dance with you." She glanced to where Tara and Willow were. "Just with you." She underlined.

A soft, charmed smile crossed the potential's lips as she reached down and took Buffy's hands.

"I'd love to." She whispered.

Buffy smiled back walking backwards till they were a few feet away from the witches. She brought Owl's hands to her waist and slid hers up to the potential's neck. Piper had to remind herself to breathe as she felt her hands placed on Buffy's slender hips, her fingers sliding over soft silk.

"You're beautiful." She whispered as they began a gentle sway.

"I told Dawn." Buffy whispered back tucking her head closer to the tall woman's body breathing in to smell the soft scent of her perfume.

"Told Dawn what?" Owl asked curiously her eyes dipping closed as she felt the gentle weight of Buffy's head on her chest.

"That we're dating." Buffy summed up feeling suddenly that the word was inadequate. "That we've made love." She felt her voice shake a bit.

"Oh so that's what caused the repetitious oh my Gods." Owl felt herself smirk, her hands sliding around Buffy's body to hold her to her more tightly, more securely.

"She's happy." Buffy nodded lightly closing her eyes as her cheek rested heavily against the cotton of owl's shirt.

"And are you?" Owl whispered her voice thick and rich.

"I am." Buffy nodded shifting in closer.

"I'm ready to say it, whenever you're ready to hear it." Owl breathed out feeling her body tremble a little at Buffy's closeness.

"And if I say it first." Buffy questioned pulling back enough to look into dark eyes.

"I've told you Buffy, it's okay," Piper shifted one hand off Buffy's shoulder to tame back a wild curl off her face gazing into hazel eyes "You don't have to say anything you're not ready for."

"I think I'm falling in love with you." Buffy spoke honestly breathing out as a weight lifted off her. "I don't know how, I don't know how you've swooped into my life and made me feel so many things in a week but you have."

It was almost as if the world stopped and just Buffy and Piper were there dancing in the star light, lit by strobes and multicoloured circles of light.

"Oh Buffy." Owl whispered leaning her head down close to Buffy's. "I think I'm falling in love with you to." She finished closing the gap between their lips.

Buffy didn't think about the very large audience as she pressed up, meeting the potential's lips, needing the contact to confirm her leap off love's very steep cliff.

"Holy crap." Xander breathed in, the patty slipping out of his burger roll to land back on the grill, as he stared at the grass. Blinking, he rubbed at his left eye and then looked at Giles,

"Did you... did I... did they..." He squeaked.

"I don't want to know." Giles pushed up and moved abruptly into the house followed almost the next instant by Spike.

With rather great timing Faith lit the end of a long Firework and holding it above her head a large rocket fired off bursting off in the darkening sky. Abandoning his place at the grill Xander skipped round to behind the music system.

"Okay ladies." He said as the slow track died off. "The night is still young, food poisoning from the burgers won't kick in for another hour or so, I say let's party." Throwing on a fast beat dance track he notched up the volume.

-x-

Buffy flicked the stereo system off, looking out at the almost empty backyard. Everyone had slowly filtered inside for bed as the night had gone on. But she had to admit that the whole party had been an odd success even though they were in an empty town waiting for the First evil to bring down an end to the world. She watched for a moment as Owl checked the BBQ was off and then moved to clean up the snack table.

"We can do that in the morning." She walked over to the potential. "Tara mentioned something about having breakfast out here if it's nice."

"Then it would be nice if it was clean for her wouldn't it?" Owl stopped stacking plates and looked at the Slayer.

"If you'd rather be cleaning up than making out on the porch." Buffy teased feeling the two glasses of wine she had bubbling in her head.

"Mmmm would that be making out with my incredibly beautiful girlfriend?" Owl straightened up and smiled broadly at her lover.

"Unless you have another girlfriend hidden out here." Buffy began stacking the rest of the plates. "And if so I could be very, very unhappy."

"No, no I haven't." Piper left her job and moved over to Buffy lowering the Slayer's plate filled hand. "Less tidying, more making out."

"I thought you wanted to clean." Buffy turned to her.

"Not when given such a beautiful alternative. Haven't I told you enough this evening how breath taking you look in that dress." Owl smiled.

"No, I haven't heard anything about me in this dress at all." Buffy answered in mock seriousness. "I'm starting to think I look fat or something."

"Mmmm let me check that out." Owl moved up and slid her hands over Buffy's slender hips and then down stroking up and down smiling softly. "Nope no trace of fat."

"With all I ate tonight I wouldn't be surprised if there was tones of it." Buffy laughed lightly reaching her hands up to Owl's shoulders.

"Buffy you hardly eat enough to feed a mouse." Owl raised an eyebrow.

"I had two pork chops and salad." Buffy argued with her.

"What about chips? Or those cheeses on sticks? Or maybe a sausage roll?" Owl pushed for more.

"Is this part of the dating thing? You ride me about how much I'm eating?" Buffy laughed looking up at the potential.

"No, no, I'm just saying, you need to look after yourself." Piper shook her head.

"So do you." Buffy reached her hand down to Owl's side. "How are your ribs?"

"Better, they hurt when I was out earlier." Piper admitted. "But they're okay now. Buffy, I… I can't really believe tonight happened." She whispered.

"Neither can I." Buffy whispered back.

"Are you sorry?" Piper had to know.

"No, no of course not." Buffy shook her head instantly. "Are you?" She questioned back.

"No, God no." Piper squeezed her softly.

"Good." Buffy smiled slipping her arms around further. "It feels good... letting everyone know."

"Dawn seemed okay about things." Owl offered.

"She thinks your cool." Buffy explained laughing. "Apparently you're nice."

"Am I?" Piper gave a crooked grin. "I thought I was hard work."

"Who said that?" Buffy questioned.

"The Council." Piper replied easily. "I read it on my official report"

"They let you see your official report?' Buffy smiled. "Wow I bet if they called you hard work, I must be marked the hardest work of all. Well no maybe Faith is, and I'm a close second."

"No they didn't let me, Shanti did." Piper admitted.

"Did it quantify how thoughtful you are, how logical and how you have incredible self control?" Buffy questioned reaching up to tuck the potential's hair behind her ear.

"Surprisingly enough no." Owl smiled, loving the simple touch as well as the gentle words. "But I bet they didn't mention how beautiful, quick and kind hearted you are."

"No chance." Buffy smiled. "I think mostly they class me as hard headed, irrationally emotional and unwilling to take mindless direction. The last time they came to 'evaluate me' I kicked their asses."

"That's my girl." Piper leaned forward and kissed her head.

"We'll have to start training the new recruits tomorrow." Buffy admitted softly. "You'll help right?"

"If you want me to of course I will, what did you think kinda split them into three teams? Maybe Kennedy and I can co-team leader." Piper offered.

"Kennedy hasn't exactly been co-operative." Buffy sighed softly. "She got pretty drunk again tonight."

"Yeah but maybe if we give her a little, she'll give us some back." The potential offered.

"If you want to try then I'm game." Buffy nodded. "Faith and I need to so some training with the staff too, get good with it."

"I think it might be good for her. When do we get the new lot?" Piper took Buffy's hand and led her over to the closest garden chair. She sat down on it and patted her knee.

"Giles is driving out to pick them up at eleven." Buffy looked at her for a minute and then feeling a bit silly she moved down and sat on Owl's lap. "I feel silly." She admitted laughing lighting as she swung her legs up getting comfortable.

"Silly why?" Owl frowned.

"I'm sitting on your lap." Buffy laughed lightly. "It's new."

"Well you could have sat the other way." Piper arched her eyebrow slightly. "That might not have felt so silly."

"You just love edging on the slayer libido don't you?" Buffy pressed up to stand and then slowly hitched her skirt up higher, kicking off her heels before she moved up straddling Owl's lap.

"Well I did dress up for you when all's said and done." Owl grinned and made sure the Slayer was comfy.

"Dressed up eh? I didn't notice anything special." Buffy faked innocence as she pressed closer.

"Oh well, maybe I should try," She paused. "Harder, next time." She winked.

"I think you tried hard enough." Buffy smiled back. "I think what you need to ask yourself is are you sure you're ready? You've only had a few hours of flaunting to get worked up." She pressed her hips down in a light circle.

Piper's chuckle turned into a groan as she pressed her hips up to meet the circular grind.

"You know you file should have said you were cheeky, wearing this all night."

Buffy teased circling her hips again.

"Cheeky? You think it's cheeky, damn. "She grinned. "I was hoping you'd at least lean towards sexy."

"Hummm lets see." Buffy reached her hand to the buttons on Owl's shirt playing with the first done up one. Piper smiled softly and let her breathing relax as she released her control. "You have been stalking around here all night, with your sexy shirt and your sexy pants and your... well... you know."

"Says the girl, floating around in soft silk." Piper contradicted.

"I'm not wearing Myst am I?" Buffy pointed out.

"I think she would have been hard to hide under this baby." This made Piper laugh as she played with the edge of Buffy's dress.

"I think Giles would have walked out twice." The Slayer noted laughing lightly. She finished fiddling and undid the top button.

"Did you manage to catch him to ask what was wrong?" Piper's mood dipped noticeably.

"Knowing Giles, his proper English sense of duty kicked in and our frivolous night of indulgence reminded him we could have been training, or researching or sitting around worrying." Buffy shrugged. "Don't worry about him, he always does this in a crisis." She leaned in kissing her.

"Mmmmmm worrying about it less and less by the second." Piper kissed her back lovingly.

"Good." Buffy pulled back almost aching as she dealt with the next button. Owl felt her breathing shift higher. "Now... we were talking about how cheeky you were."

"Me cheeky?" She said between breaths.

"You cheeky." Buffy pushed the next button open, spreading back the sides of her shirt. Owl felt her nipples stiffen instantly even though they were still encased in the uncharacteristic sheer silk underwire bra the potential wore. "So tell me what it's like to walk around in her all night." Buffy questioned softly as she traced her fingers over the hard wires.

"Well it started off comfy." Piper smiled.

"Yes." Buffy encouraged with another circle of her hips.

"But then I saw you..." She smiled more. "And after five hour of getting wetter and wetter watching you, dancing with you holding you." Her breath shifted again.

"Really?" Buffy swallowed shifting her hips up a bit.

"Really." Piper nodded. "Buffy what I feel for you isn't just about sex or desire, but God girl, you are hot."

"It's important." Buffy smiled moving her fingers over the silk cups of the potential's bra. "What made you want to put it on?" She questioned circling her hips again.

"I..." She stopped, "I was getting my jeans out of the bag and I looked out of the window, and just watched you dancing out there with your sister, laughing and joking, and I... I wanted a subtle way for you to know I was thinking you, wanting you."

"I know this sounds naive, but a week ago I never knew you could wear such a thing." The Slayer made the soft admission as her fingers swirled over hard buds. "Now I've spent the whole night thinking about that. It's been very distracting."

"Bad distracting?"

"Oh no." Buffy shook her head rolling her thumbs around Owl's nipples. "Makes me wish I'd worn underwear distracted."

"Please tell me you're joking about not wearing underwear." Piper sucked in a breath pushing her breasts into Buffy's hands.

"Would I joke about something like that?" Buffy leaned down kissing her throat.

"Oh God I hope not." Piper tipped her head back groaning.

"I'm surprised you didn't notice." Buffy growled in her ear licking her earlobe.

"Well I tried to dance with decorum, though damn now I'm wishing I'd just held your ass all night." Piper gave a hard shiver.

"Then you would have made Xander's head explode." Buffy laughed licking across her chin.

"I thought he really, really did well, considering." Owl tried to pay attention to the conversation.

"Considering you're bigger and harder than him?" Buffy teased licking over her bottom lip.

"And how would you know that Ms. Summers?" Owl moaned again.

"It's a guess. We could ask Faith to compare." Buffy grinned pulling back and reaching to cup her hands around Owl's breasts.

"Faith's done Xander!" Owl's eyes widened.

"Off topic but yes." Buffy nodded massaging with her hands.

"Wow, I would have thought you know, well tame." Piper laughed.

"Tame? Oh no, she used him and chucked him." Buffy tried to explain. "He's still sensitive about it."

"Oh, ouch." Piper winced. "Okay enough off topic."

"I know this will sound silly but I like talking." Buffy admitted softly as her hands kept massaging and teasing hard nipples. "You're expressive."

"Oh we can talk." Owl underlined. "Just not about Xander and Faith having sex."

"No, I like it when you talk about us." Buffy whispered pushing down the material that kept her from Owl's skin. "When you talk about how you feel."

"You do?" Piper smiled slightly.

"I do." Buffy nodded running her fingertips over soft skin. "I... I like to know what I do to you. God I sound lame don't I." She laughed and blushed. "Again with the I'm supposed to be the Slayer and here I am sounding like a kid."

"You don't sound lame, Buffy there is nothing lame or childish about liking to hear how you affect your lover, how your touch feels, how your body makes them feel." Owl shook her head softly. "What's lame is not having the guts to admit it."

"I admitted it." Buffy noted softly.

"I know, which just shows what I always thought. You're not lame." Owl slid her hands up the sides of Buffy's dress.

"Mmmmm I like not being lame." Buffy arched her back.

"So how did you feel when you felt her." Piper's eyes flicked down to her crotch.

"I felt... I wondered if you had put her on for me." Buffy looked down into lusty eyes. "I wondered how she made you feel, if she made you feel more... I don't know... stronger, more confident."

"Okay need to be honest." Piper breathed. "It made me feel... attached to you, I knew…" She corrected. "I thought, that I wouldn't be able to be with you tonight, other than to chat and if I was lucky be at the food table at the same moment as you, so I wanted to feel, well I wanted to be reminded of what we had."

"That's so..." Buffy paused leaning down closer. "Romantic." She smiled reaching up to rub Owl's cheek.

"You don't think it was stupid?" Piper looked worried.

"How could I think that you wanting to feel closer to me even if you couldn't actually be with me not be romantic?" Buffy looked at her.

"Refer back to you childish reference, you know like carrying around your girlfriend's sock or something." Piper grinned.

"Myst is a little more mature than a sock." Buffy ran her thumb over the potential's lip. "Piper, everyone I have ever been with has pushed and pushed and pushed. They've never given me room to breath, room to get excited about the maybe not pushing the now."

"I want you to have room." Piper whispered suddenly serious. "One thing Shanti gave me was freedom, to be myself, no matter how that might have grated against what even she wanted me to be. No matter what happens between you and I, I at least want to give you that gift too."

"Piper, if things get crazy. If I get crazy when all the First stuff happens I want you to know I'll come back." Buffy rubbed her cheek again.

"What?" Piper whispered her breath escaping in a soft breeze. Her tone the same as if someone had just offered her the moon.

"When all of this starts and we're all super focused and not just hiding in the house, I know how I am, I'm all about the fight, all about the slay." Buffy misunderstood her response. "I know what I'm like, I might... no you'll probably feel like I'm shutting off, closing down. It's how I get the job done, it's how I survive. But it's not because of you, I need you to understand that."

"Buffy stop." Piper placed a finger on her lips.

"Piper I need you to understand." Buffy shook her head. "Everyone's accused me of doing this, Angel, Riley left because of it and that was my mom not even Glory. I have this armour, it's just got worse since Willow brought me back, since Spike. But I don't want it to hurt you."

"No Buffy, I'm stopping you because I get it. I don't expect anything from you, I know how bad this might get, I saw what the First can do, the kind of beings it controls, you can't afford to be divided in your attention when you face that, when we all face that." Piper explained.

"You do?" Buffy's whole train of thought was derailed.

"I do." Piper nodded. "Buffy I know I'm not a slayer, I know I've not had to face the things you have, but... I watched the First behead my girlfriend and I had to pull myself back together get on my bike and leave everything of her behind, believe me I understand the need for focus and for retreating into yourself when the world outside is too crazy to be in."

"I'm going to rip its head off." Buffy vowed.

"We're going to, together." Piper reminded her of her words just a few short hours before.

"Together." Buffy leaned in and kissed her full on the mouth.

"Buffy really, I do get it, and yeah, you might back off from me, hell you might not want me anywhere near me, but maybe, just maybe, one night in the middle of the shit, you'll curl in bed beside me, and want to be held. I can put up with all the shit, all the pulling back and the self resilience, for that one moment." Piper kissed her back tenderly.

"Are you sure you're not like thirty five or something?" Buffy smiled at her kissing her again.

"Why do you ask that?" Piper gave her a curious look.

"Because you think, because you have a big heart, because you have a big ego but you carry it well. Not like Faith or I do." Buffy grinned and hugged her.

"I have a whole heap of faults." She pointed out grinning.

"So do I." Buffy laughed. "I'm sure my sister would point most of them out if you ask her."

"I'd rather find them out for myself, see if I really think they are faults." Piper said softly.

"Have you found any yet?" The Slayer checked.

"Yeah, just one." Piper nodded.

"What's that?" Buffy questioned instantly.

"You always underestimate your sexiness and your grace and your ability." Piper replied.

"Charmer." Buffy leaned in pressing her hands to Owl's breasts before she pressed their lips together.

Piper moaned softly and slipped her hand back onto Buffy's waist holding her close. The Slayer stopped using her mouth for talking and pressed her tongue over Owl's lips into her warm mouth. Piper's hands squeezed harder as she welcomed Buffy to her mouth, stroking the tip of her tongue over the tip of Buffy's. The blonde groaned as she opened her mouth more, drawing Owl back with her as she squeezed her fingers around the hard tips on her lover's breasts. Breaking the kiss the potential moaned strongly.

"God I love that." She admitted.

"Now I know why Willow is a breast girl." Buffy groaned back squeezing harder and rolling the flesh.

"Enough with the other people referencing Baby, tell me what you feel when you touch them." Piper urged.

"I like when you call me baby." Buffy whispered playing her fingers over the sensitive tips. "Makes me feel... girlie." She laughed lightly. "And this excites me." She squeezed more. "To touch you, to make you groan its amazing."

"Well each time I groan it's only because you make a part of me feel amazing." Owl returned the soft information giving. "And for information sake too, you're the first person I've ever called baby."

"Which is amazing." Buffy breathed out her body arching. "It's amazing cause when I hear you moan I can guess why, I can guess exactly how its feeling because... well obviously we're both girls." She grinned. "And then I think about the why and it makes me even more excited."

"Good, it should." Piper encouraged her gently. "You should get excited know that just your touch, your voice, even your breath on my neck makes my heart leap a little, my stomach tense and my centre ache."

"God you make me ache when you talk like that." Buffy groaned pressing her hips closer.

"I'm glad, mmm more than glad." Owl rolled her hips up pushing towards Buffy.

"Maybe we should go upstairs and really be glad." Buffy encouraged her softly.

"You don't feel like being glad out here?" Piper winked grinning widely.

"We have a dozen people milling around the house." Buffy blushed.

"Yes inside the house we do, but we're outside right now, and all the curtains are c… l… o… s… e… d." Piper spelled out unfastening the six small-pearlised buttons on the dress' neckline.

"We are... and..." Buffy looked back at the house. "They are." She arched as the dress was pushed back off her body to reveal her breasts.

Owl slowly stilled the hands that lowered her dress, and drew it up to cover all but the soft swells of her lover's breasts.

"We don't have to do anything out here, or in there for that matter." She underlined.

"Don't tease, I want you." Buffy moved her hands over Owl's and pressed them harder to her body.

"I know, but you choose where." Owl's breath hitched at the sudden pressure Buffy put onto her hands. "Choose quickly."

"Here." Buffy pushed forward kissing her.

"Good choice." Piper breathed into the kiss her hands pushing the material down again before closing over Buffy's shapely breasts. Her hands made the Slayer arch, her hips started a firm constant rhythm against Owl's body.

"God you move like an dancer." Piper growled. "Soft long lines, strong set rhythm."

"Mmmm you inspire me." Buffy ground against her harder.

"As you inspire me." Owl agreed easily her hand sliding over and round Buffy's breasts, the thumbs focusing across hard nipples.

"I don't mean to rush things but I need you." Buffy pressed more into her hands.

"What do you need Buffy, just name it." Piper vowed hotly.

"You inside me." Buffy groaned pressing down harder.

"Me or Myst." Piper asked her hands moving to push Buffy's dress even higher so that it in no way impeded her movements.

"You, her... both." The Slayer whispered feeling greedy.

"Okay baby, whatever you want." Piper purred slipping her hand carefully between Buffy's legs as she asked the question.

"What do you want?" Buffy questioned quickly.

"You." Piper replied running three fingers through wetness to rest over the Slayer's centre.

Buffy's hips jumped up at the direct needed contact before she pushed back down, her breath going in high and fast before it came out deeper and slow.

"Mmmm God baby you're so wet." Owl moaned, running her fingers back and forth, flicking left and right over the Slayer's clit. "And hard, baby this can't have been comfortable." She purred.

"It... Mmmm... was for awhile... Watching you... thinking about you..." Buffy's hips flared with each touch.

"But then?" Piper asked focusing on the sensitive nerves.

"Then I couldn't look at you or think about what it felt to touch you because I could feel how wet I was and I wanted you to be touching me." Buffy groaned her hips rocking faster.

"But I'm touching you now, so you can think about it, all there is to ruin are my jeans, and baby, they're ruined inside already." The potential assured her.

"Mmmm I'm not thinking." Buffy opened dark hazel eyes. "I'm feeling you." She whispered whimpering as she arched harder.

"Mmmm and you say I know just what to say," Piper slid her middle finger back and pressed into Buffy's body. Buffy's body went taunt. Straightening up as she gasped as her tight insides were pressed open. "Mmmmm oh Baby." Piper felt her body release a small flood. The flood was matched by the waves of arousal that slid down Piper's hand. "Undo my jeans Buffy please." Piper heard her voice panting as she moved her finger around inside her lover's body.

"Mmmmm." The Slayer groaned trying to focus as she brought her hands down fumbling with Owl's belt and then manhandling her jeans open. She pressed her hand inside, surprised to not find cotton boxers but instead came directly in contact with hard silicone.

"Oh Christ yes." Owl's eyes squeezed closed.

Buffy agreed silently pushing her body up and down on the potential's hand. Drawing another finger back from Buffy's clit she pressed it in to join the first, she groaned as hot muscles stretched to take her.

"Pipppper." Buffy gasp again as she felt her insides opening more, flooding so that she could feel her own wetness slide down her thighs.

"Oh yes, I know Buffy, you feel so good." Owl panted. "Front jean pocket baby, chocolate, I remembered."

"You could have..." She lost her words as she moaned. "Picking another flavour."

She brought her hand up pulling out the foil package, ripping it open and sliding her hands down to roll it over the silicon shaft.

"Why would I, I love the smell of you on chocolate." Owl moaned more as Buffy's movements on Myst pressed the hilt of her against her aching body.

"Charm-er." Buffy groaned pressing down on the base knowing now how it would reverberate into the potential's body.

"Tease." Piper groaned back shifting her hips slightly, left to right, against the pressure.

"Only cause you love it." Buffy grinned pressing harder her breath coming faster. Her throbbing centre jumped under Owl's fingers.

"Tell me when you want us." Owl requested biting her lip as the ache between her legs were the straps rested grew into a constant throb.

"This... first." Buffy continued pushing against her lover's hand, reaching one hand up to brace on Owl's shoulder as the other kept pressing and pulling against the leather. She tipped her head forward, panting as her hips started to move in a long slow motion. "Yessss." She moaned softly trying not to be loud because of the echo outside.

"Yessss." The potential echoed her hips and body grinding desperately against Buffy's actions, her fingers pressing into Buffy, stretching a little wider. "Oooooh F... Baby." Piper caught her lip again as she felt a pulse of hot fire between her legs.

"I know, so wonderful." Buffy leaned closer her hips shaking as she began to move faster again, low moans coming constantly. "Just... ohhhhh Piper." Something inside her changed from the deep ache to a flaring into hot flowing orgasm.

"Yessssss Buffy." Owl pressed her free hand up over Buffy's back holding her closer to her as she let her self embrace the build up inside her.

"Oh God, OH God." Buffy's body rocked almost perilously but was held from tumbling off the chair by Owl's hand.

"Yes Buffy yes, yes." Pipers breath got quicker and shorter her thighs and hips trembling before releasing. Breathing out at the same moment Piper's whole body shuddered.

Buffy rocked over and over, her motions slowly only when she finally felt her thighs burning though the wave of orgasms inside her continued on.

"God Piper." She moved her hand up into her lover's hair as she leaned down and kissed her quickly.

"God I will never get used to how fucking amazing you are when that happens." Piper blinked over and over to try and rid her eyes of stars.

"Mmmmm you should, you cause it." Buffy felt her hips continue to rock softly.

"But you let yourself feel it, experience it." Owl countered her body matching the soft rock.

"Mmmm how could I not." Buffy offered with a smile.

"Well you know I think you could resist my charms if you tried really hard." She moved her hand from bracing against Buffy's back to rub on her thigh.

"Impossible." Buffy shook her head. "Especially as now I want more of you."

"More?" Owl whispered checking.

"Unless you're tired?" Buffy checked softly.

"God no, and even if I was, hello tiredness train left about fifteen seconds ago." Piper underlined.

"Mmmmm then…" She pressed forward pulling her hand back.

"Then..." Piper smirked drawing her fingers out and back to focus on the Slayer's clit.

"Remember I'm greedy." Buffy whispered, her body instantly flared with the touch.

"How greedy?" The potential asked hotly.

"Very." She groaned loudly.

Moving the hand on Buffy's hip to her own crotch, lightly easing the harness and toy into a more comfortable and more accessible place.

"Are you ready?" Buffy questioned moving against each change.

"The question would be are you?" Piper replied softly. "It's a much different feeling sat up."

"I think I am." Buffy nodded shifting closer.

"I'll keep my hips still until you're comfortable with her." Owl promised gently.

Buffy breathed slowly as she settled down, but the controlled attempt soon faltered as she felt the warm silicon press into her already over aroused body.

"Oh my God Buffy." Owl groaned in pleasure as she felt Buffy shift slightly.

"Exactly." The blonde whimpered as she settled down as far as she could stay still for a moment as the full feeling inside her.

"Okay?" Owl asked her voice soft.

"Yesss." Buffy opened her eyes looking into her lover's. "It is different but nice."

"Good," Piper panted concentrating on giving Buffy a safe secure base to rest against, fighting the desire to push up. "You look beautiful." She added gazing into hazel eyes.

"Charmer." Buffy leaned down a little kissing her. When she did her hips lifted a little and she groaned hotly.

"Steady baby," Piper soothed. "She goes in deeper this angle." The potential lightly rested her hands on Buffy's hips.

"She does." Buffy breathed out as she pushed back down the short distance before pulling back up slowly, despite the soft warnings she just couldn't resist starting the slow rhythm.

"Ohhh yes baby." Piper groaned. "You beautiful, beautiful woman." She leaned up without thinking to place a kiss on Buffy's exposed throat, forgetting that the move automatically pressed her hands down on Buffy's hips, while at the same time pressing her body up.

Buffy's head titled back as she groaned loudly, her legs squeezing tighter against Owl's hips.

"Oh God baby I'm sorry." Owl frowned pulling her hips down again.

"No... God Piper." Buffy tipped back immediately pushing down as the potential did to stay close to her.

"Mmmmm baby." Feeling the move Piper pressed back up slightly.

"Move." Buffy encouraged her wanting to feel all that the new position could offer.

"Yes," Piper agreed willing beginning a gently upward thrust with her hips, her hands holding lightly onto the Slayer's hips. In time Buffy pushed back down, leaning both her hands on Owl's shoulders for leverage as she arched her back tipping her head back again. "There you go love." Piper purred sliding her hands up round Buffy's back.

Buffy moaned her agreement as she flexed her fingers into Owl's shoulders, digging her hips down against each thrust. Unable to resist piper pulled Buffy closer as she leaned forward in the chair shifting Myst inside her lover.

"Oh Pipppper." Buffy gasped pushing down harder.

"Mmmm yes." Piper slid her hands higher up Buffy's back as she pressed them together more moaning low as their breasts brushed against one another.

"Can we do this all night?" Buffy questioned in a deep voice as she pushed faster, building up the explosive movement between them.

"Yes." Owl agreed nodding.

"Good." The Slayer slid her hands back further winding her fingers around the wood of the chair back as she pushed down harder. "Is this what you hoped for all night?' Buffy questioned her voice fluctuating as the pleasure inside her waved from high peaks to hard firm valleys.

"It's what I dreamed of, oh Buffy I never dared hope it might happen, not really."

She panted harder.

"Mmmm dreams are good." Buffy was panting hard now, her hips moving with less rhythm as her body began to flare towards another shattering climax.

Pipers body reacted to the subtle changes in Buffy's body and pressed herself closer to orgasm, though she wanted to sustain the Slayer's pleasure as long as she could quite aware that she didn't have the stamina her lover did even if she did have the enthusiasm.

As her orgasm broke Buffy didn't even think of noise this time, she tipped her head back screaming out loudly as she came, though it wasn't long as she tipped her face back kissing Owl.

The potential more than willing met the kiss with an eager open mouth panting hard as she felt her hips trembling and spasming slightly in her presses. Feeling the spasms Buffy pushed her body to push a few more times, her tongue carving inside Owl's mouth.

Pulling her head back Piper let out a ecstatic cry of release as her body jerked for a few frantic thrusts and then fell back heavily into the wood. Buffy leaned up, pulling the silicone out of her body so she wasn't tempted to push anymore before she leaned her body against Owl's.

"You're beautiful." She whispered. Owl panted hard, trying to gather enough breath to reply. "It's okay, catch your breath." Buffy smiled at her, her own breathing evening out much quicker. Owl relaxed a little and let her breathing slowly reset.

"Baby you are amazing." She rubbed Buffy's back.

"So are you." Buffy kissed her lightly.

-x-


	16. Chapter 16

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Sixteen.**

The Summers house was quiet as the soft purples of the coming sunrise began to break the night sky trying to give hope to the coming day. It was under this cover that six hooded figured approached the front of the house while another six approached the back. Silently they positioned themselves on the porch before two literally dove through the front bay window, the glass and wood splintering inwards. Another kicked in the door and the remaining four poured into the front hall. More quietly at the back the other six kicked in the back door slipping to the basement door and downstairs.

Faith was broke out of her deep sleep with the shattering of glass and the shower of it that came down on top of her body as two figures jumped over her. With lightening reflexes she grabbed at one, dragging the Bringer down as she rolled off the couch on top of him blindly.

"Oooo we're going to die, we're going to die." Andrew shot up from his place on the recliner as a splinter of wood hit him from the window frame.

Faith tied the sheet around the Bringer's head choking it before she finally snapped its neck. The thunderous footsteps of the other four Bringers sounded up the stairs as they sought out other SIT's.

"Get off me get off me." Andrew screeched waving his arms and legs at the Bringer who was moving closer to the small statuette that Tara had placed next to the recliner while casting her spell.

"Andrew protect the statue." Faith leapt up trying to get there in time before he could break it.

"I'm protecting me." The small man whined.

"The statue." Zoë had stayed closed to the ground when the chaos had awoken her and from her closer position she scrambled across the carpet on her hands and knees towards it praying she could beat the Bringer to it.

Faith managed to launch herself onto the Bringer's back, throwing him off kilter but not before he took a swipe at the statue sending it sideways.

Zoë reached out prone trying to get the heavy wood to fall safely into her hands, which it did to her relief. What she didn't account for as she closed her hands around the thinner top was the thick carved base swinging around as its momentum continued so that it clipped into her temple. The thud that accompanied the smack announced her descent into unconsciousness with the statue on top of her.

"Kill it, kill it... oh God it killed Zoë." Andrew ducked down behind the recliner and at least managed to reach out an arm to pick up the statue and drag it to his hiding place.

Faith fought with her second Bringer, managing in the close scuffle to get her hands around the blade hilt which she used to turn the blade around, she dug it into his stomach just as shrieking started throughout the house.

-x-

"BUFFY, BUFFY, HELP!" Dawn screamed as she pushed back off the bed joining the SITs that were clambering around the room trying to get away from the two Bringers that had forced their way inside.

The blonde Slayer burst out of her room with the sword she kept by her bed, immediately heading to her sister's room. She heard Owl scampering behind her as she threw a kick at the first Bringer, trying to send him off while she swung the blade at the other. She had thought her plans had been well laid when she felt a heavy boot fall into the small of her back, sending a flare of pain up into her head that made her drop to her knees as her legs went to jelly for a quick moment.

"Stay down!" Owl called from behind her, taking a running jump from her position to hit the Bringer in the chest, they both sailed over the top of Buffy smacking her attacker to the floor and rolling with him down the hallway.

The Slayer did just that and felt the wind as the potential and Bringer sailed over her. Gripping the sword harder she came up just in time to hear a sickly shriek as a Bringer's blade slipped home into Rona's torso, the tall potential sliding down the wall near the closet.

Buffy growled as she pulled the blade back, swiping it into the Bringer's body a second later almost cutting him in half.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Slayer was in the Dawn's bedroom and that Owl was still grappling on the floor with the original Bringer, the sixth slipped past going towards Willow and Tara's room.

"Will! TAR!" Owl managed to scream before she was kicked hard in the stomach. The potential's groan was muffled by Dawn and Vi screams from the bedroom as the other Bringer in there continued to advance on them. Anya was strangely silent as she gathered Rona and made and efforts to pull the bleeding SIT away from further danger.

"Buffy!" Willow scream came from her bedroom as she tried to keep the door closed against the assaulting Bringer, his knife sinking into the wood and coming perilously close to her head before it retracted and then pushed in again, slicing lightly into her arm which made her pull back wounded.

"Willow sweetie back." Tara called as she pulled on a silk robe. "Let it come in, just don't risk getting hurt again." She winced as she saw the trickle of red down her lover's arm.

Willow moved back as it came in looking around the room. Its eyes fell on the staff that was leaned against the dresser next to Willow's laptop.

"It wants the staff." The redhead made a grab for the weapon, not sure what she could do with it but knowing she couldn't let the Bringer get its hands on it.

"Togliere e reprimere." Tara whispered before the Bringer had a chance to move or do anything further. With a bright shimmer the Bringer disappeared. "Well it's not getting it like that." She smiled hurrying over to her lover. "It's only outside, but I thought it would give us time." She explained putting her hand over the shallow gash on Willow's arm.

"I have to get this to Buffy." Willow gripped the staff hearing the screams from the other room.

"Of course." Tara nodded letting her lover move and following as she ran out into the hall, just in time to see the brawling Owl and Bringer rolling towards the staircase. "Willow, Owl!" She called seeing how dangerously close the tall woman was to being thrown down the stairs.

Willow held out her hand throwing it at the Bringer as it rose up above Owl, a small fireball hit it square in the chest and sent it sprawling backwards. When it tried to stand she shuffled over gripping her hands into the staff and swung in as best as she could into the side of its head, the Bringer fell sideways with a sickly thump.

"Th... thanks." Owl panted hard.

"Are you okay?" Willow checked starting to move back to the room with the staff.

"Just get the... st... Buffy." Owl groaned rolling over onto her knees.

Willow pushed through the melee trying to find her best friend in the dark and chaos.

"Buffy!" She screamed at the Slayer holding up the weapon.

"Good call Will." Buffy flexed her hand for her to throw it and Willow tossed it too her instantly.

Spinning it quickly so that the bladed shield flicked out into place and then quicker than she could blink she flicked it up and round so that the axe blade severed the Bringers remaining heads off their shoulders.

"I need to check Faith and the others." Buffy turned quickly and sprinted out of the room, stumbling slightly when she saw Owl crumpled at the stop of the stairs.

"Go." Piper quickly and quietly assured her that she was not severely hurt.

Nodding softly Buffy bounced down the stairs to see the damage that was everywhere. She kicked the broken front door out of her way and flinched when she saw the Canadian's sprawled body on the floor.

"Basement." Andrews's voice squeaked from behind the chair as Buffy reached the sitting room.

Pushing on she raced to the broken door hoping there wouldn't be more bodies down there. As she made it far enough down the stairs, she instantly saw that the basement was in chaos.

Spike was fighting two Bringers in one corner while Giles and Xander grappled with another one. Kennedy was having a dagger fight with the fourth and one lay dead on the floor with what looked like Molly underneath him. Faith arched up from the floor obviously having just finished killing the dead Bringer nearby as she kicked the one slashing at Kennedy.

"Faith!" Buffy called from the top of the stairs holding the staff.

"B." Faith held up her hand for it. Buffy skilfully threw it before jogging down to help people to safety.

Faith grasped it, feeling a new confidence she twirled the sharp end blades out slicing through the closest Bringer before she turned taking a seconds arm off before she took off its head. She then changed her grip pushing over to Spike to kill the final threats.

"Everyone able, get up to the sitting room." Buffy called down as the dust began to settle.

Giles pulled the dead Bringer off of Molly's body checking sorrowfully for a pulse before he was forced to follow everyone else upstairs.

Buffy hung in the basement as people filed out waiting for Faith.

"Okay what the fuck was this?" Faith looked at her angry as she kicked a dead Bringer.

"A way of making us pay for relaxing." Buffy scowled.

"We are so going to cut this thing up." Faith kicked the corpse again.

"Lets move the corpses." Buffy frowned hard.

"Poor girl. Didn't have a chance." She looked down at Molly and frowned.

"We lost Rona too." Buffy frowned. "And maybe Zoë."

"Fuck." Faith screamed taking the blade and stabbing into the corpse she'd been abusing.

"I'm pretty sure anyway." Buffy admitted the slim shade of doubt shaking her head.

"Let's get this shit outside." Faith picked one up with a groan, throwing him over her shoulder and started up the stairs.

-x-

"Zoë, Zoë you silly fool." Tara knelt on the floor with the Canadian's head in her lap beside her was a large bowl of water and Anya just dropped a soft wad of cotton into it for the blonde to wring out and clean up the angry head wound.

"It's not bleeding badly." Willow tried to reassure Tara. She knew they had both been panicked when they'd come down to find the tall woman sprawled out looking very close to dead.

"She tried to save a lump of wood." Tara frowned harder as she carefully drew the white cloth around the gash.

"She saved the shield." Andrew spoke up from his place curled in the side of his couch biting his nails.

"I could have repaired the shield." Tara looked up with a scowl.

"It was Faith's fault, she was screaming at us to save it." Andrew shucked off the blame immediately.

"Fuck off nerd boy." Faith snapped as she and Buffy walked in from the yard. "Is she okay?" She looked at Tara and was comforted by the nod she got in return.

"There's just..." Dawn glanced nervously to the stairs. "Just Rona up there." she whispered as she put cream onto an abrasion on Owl's cheek.

"I'll go get her, we can bury her and Molly." Faith tried not to snap again as she moved up to the stairs.

"I'll help." Buffy pushed to follow trying not to look at her lover's bruised body.

"We're going to need to get the window closed up." Kennedy looked at Xander.

"We can use some of the boards from the basement." Xander pushed up nodding "Want to help?" He looked back at her.

"Yeah, still all adrenaline rushy." Kennedy glanced at Willow and Tara before she moved after him down to basement.

"I'll help outside." Spike pushed up and moved to the yard to wait for Buffy and Faith with the other fatality.

"I can't believe they attacked us, th-th-that Rona and Molly are..." Amanda's lip trembled as she tried to speak.

"Willow do we need to look at your arm?" Giles crouched down by the redhead looking at the hasty bandage on her.

"No, it's not deep." The redhead shook her head.

"Sweetie, let Mr. Giles look." Tara glanced up at her blinking soft blue eyes.

Willow nodded and sat a bit straighter as the watcher unwound the bandage. The high sense of grief and tension in the room kept anyone from responding to Amanda's comment. No one had anything they could say, the brighter lights of the sunrise starting filled the room with an ominous reality.

"Bethie?" Zoë's voice moaned as her eyes fluttered open slightly.

"Zoë?" Tara turned back to look at the girl resting on her lap. "Shush, easy." She breathed dabbing the congealing head wound.

"Beth... Tara?" Zoë questioned obviously confused.

"The latter." Tara whispered softly.

"Where... where am I?' She reached up to her head. "What hit me."

"Ergru." Tara smiled and nodded to the statuette.

"The Bringer was trying to break it." Zoë admitted closing her eyes again.

"Well you saved it, and got a bit dented." Tara chastised.

"Is everyone okay?" She asked rubbing her eyebrow.

"Shush, don't worry about that, just rest." The blonde didn't want to have to directly answer the question.

"I'm going to have to stitch that." Giles admitted looking at the gash on the Canadian's head. "You're fine." He tapped the bandage down on Willow's arm.

"Mr. Giles needs to look after you okay?" Tara whispered.

"Okay." Zoë groaned. "Can I have a Tylenol or something?"

"Liberare dal dolore." Tara placed her hand on Zoë's temple as she whispered the short spell. "There you go, better than Tylenol." She smiled easing out from supporting the Canadian resting her head on a pile of stacked cushions.

"Thank you." Zoë settled much more comfortable.

"My pleasure L'alce." Tara whispered as she crossed the room to Willow leaning it kissing the redhead's cheek.

"Are you okay?" Willow checked Tara over quickly, everything had happened so fast that she didn't know for sure if Tara had been hit or bruised.

"I'm fine, does it hurt?" Tara asked placing her hand lightly over Willow's wound.

"Just stings, it barely got me." Willow shook her head. "You should go help Owl, I think she's in a lot of pain." She looked to the couch.

"Are you sure?" Tara checked.

"Yes, we need to take care of everyone." Willow nodded.

"I love you." Tara whispered kissing her again. "By the way beautiful fire ball and fine staff wielding."

"Panic magicks." Willow laughed. "Not as good as your teleportation."

"Prettier." Tara underlined slipping away to kneel beside the couch. "Owl." She asked looking at the potential.

"Look after everyone else first." Owl winced as Anya pulled up her shirt. "Buffy was hit." The potential groaned as the former demon gave up lifting the shirt and just sliced it off high to Piper's breasts so she could see if there was a wound.

"Owl shush." Tara looked at her shaking her head. "Any internals?" She added glancing at Anya who was feeling around the potential's abdomen.

"Just tenderness and bruising." Anya shook her head "Maybe the rib went again." The former demon's hands paused.

"Do you like just undoing my handiwork?" Tara smiled at Owl.

"Wanted to see how good you were at redoing." Owl groaned as Anya poked around.

"Like I told you last time, it's how good you are, not me, I just encourage your body to do what it should be doing." Tara explained as she let Anya finish. "But not right now, you're not strong enough to begin healing now, so I'll just make it hurt less and let Anya strap you up, okay?"

"Okay." Owl nodded. "Then check Buffy yes?" She asked again.

"Yes, if you swear you'll just lie here." Tara replied softly.

"I'll lie here." The potential nodded.

Trying to make as least noise as possible the two Slayers slipped out with a fallen SIT, wrapped respectfully in a blanket.

"I can't sit here while they're doing that." Vi pushed up. "I'll see if Xander and Kennedy need help dragging up plywood. You coming Amanda?"

"Y-Y-Yes." Amanda pushed up shakily to follow her.

"Why did this happen?" Tara glanced at Giles frowning as she went back over to sit beside Willow.

"The First wants them dead, any attack where there are casualties on our side is a success for it." Giles admitted. "Perhaps to prove that our shield might keep it out but it doesn't protect us."

"But to do that... I mean I could do it but..." She glanced at Willow. "Andrew couldn't stabilise it, I'd have to..."

"We can't keep them all out Tara, they're demons." Willow shook her head squeezing Tara's hand.

"If I made it broad enough." Tara frowned obviously thinking hard. "I mean it would take a lot, but..."

"It can't be done." Willow underlined. "We can't waste that kind of energy." She tried to explain. "And that high a spell, the First would channel in through the line."

"The First can only channel through a seam that has already had tainting." Tara hated to remind her lover. "And it would only take me out of the equation. I can deal with the headaches and bloody noses."

"Tara, it's not an option." Giles shook his head as he tied off the first small suture on Zoë's forehead. "We need your magic functional."

"But it could be." Tara pushed the issue. "We'd only need the shield when we were here. I could probably only manage a week."

"There are going to be three houses of us later today." Willow shook her head again. "Keeping the shield will be hard enough."

"But if I modified the spell." Tara turned to look at Willow. "I could possibly created a central core that offered true protection, and lesser protection for the other two houses." She pressed her hand to her temple.

"Tara, honey no." Willow moved up looking into blue eyes. "We'll do everything we can but we can't do this."

Tara held green eyes for a long moment and then dropped her hand from the side of her head.

"You're right." She whispered reaching out and threading her fingers into Willow's the weight of the defeat resting heavier on her.

"This isn't your fault." Willow moved wrapping her arms around her. "We did out best."

"We all did." Dawn nodded. "The First just timed it right and got lucky." She tried to reason.

"I imagine before the next group of girls arrives to unbalance us." Giles nodded at the teenager. "We must be more vigilant."

"I've had a thought." Owl pushed up a little from the couch sinking back again exhausted.

"Yes?" Giles looked at her.

"Well Tara's idea is great and really selfless." She smiled at the blonde. "But what if we're looking too mystical for something that could have a more physical answer."

"What do you mean?" Willow cradled Tara.

"Faith and I scoped out the electrical place off main, where we got the system and the lights, they had security systems, you know infra red beams and that kind of shit. We could rig a grid up around the three houses, yeah it might only give us a few more seconds to be ready, but there's a difference between being jumped on in your sleep and being jumped on a minute after being woken up by a blaring alarms." Owl explained her train of thought. "Its not gonna keep them out but its going to give us notice."

"I could hook it up to internal sensors as well." Willow looked at the Watcher instantly realising it was a good idea.

"Excellent, as soon as the store is open we can go and pick up what we need." The watcher agreed.

"Er Giles…" Owl smiled. "The store is kinda working 24 / 7 right now." She pointed out.

"Oh well." He looked down completing another small stitch.

"I could drive there." Anya offered sitting up taller.

"Faith could go with you when her and Buffy are finished." Willow tried not to think of what was keeping them busy.

"What time is it?" Dawn asked her voice small and tired.

"Six thirty eight." Willow looked at the reading on the VCR.

"Does anyone want a drink?" She pushed up and moved off trying not to focus on what they had just managed to live through.

-x-

Willow tapped a few more keys and signalled out the window for Anya to step forward again. Suddenly the whole block erupted in loud sirens and alarms before she clicked some keys and reset it.

"Okay, we're fort Summers." She leaned back taking a tired breath. The installation and completion had taken them all of the day and well into the evening.

"Well done sweetie." Tara leaned in from her place perched on the chair that Willow was working from.

"We've got infrared, lasers, general trip wires." Willow smiled up at her proudly.

"Round all three house." Anya nodded as she came back in through the front door.

"We're still having watch turns." Buffy looked at Faith to get back up for her reasoning.

"Why aren't they here?" Faith looked at Giles rather than replying.

"I'm not sure." The Watcher shook his head.

"It's the first isn't it?" There was a note of hysteria in Amanda's voice as she looked around the smaller group. "It's got to them, probably driven them off the road."

"We got to give her a shot." Faith looked out the window to the end of the road. "G-man what are they travelling in?" She questioned.

"Well I'm not sure. I spoke to one of them, a Miss. Webster, she rather had the idea they were driving here in a bus." Giles recalled.

"Okay that would explain the big yellow thing lumbering down the road. Red, don't turn the perimeter off till I give you the cue." Faith picked up the staff moving to the door.

"The next generation of world savers are drawing up here in a bright yellow bus." Zoë laughed. "Great."

"Are we sure it's them?" Buffy moved to take Faith's post at the window.

The large bus rumbled to a stop outside the house looking eerily like a school bus about to drop off its class load of pupils.

"Open the door." Faith yelled at the driver authoritatively from her place on the grass behind the perimeter.

The door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman in a grey skirt suit driving, she made a motion and a total ten young women stepped down out of it. Faith kept looking waiting for some surprise to come out with them. When they were all out, and taking their bags from out of the luggage compartment of the bus, the driver stepped out and looked at the house.

"Excuse me, Miss. Buffy Summers?" She called in a crisp British accent.

"No I'm Faith, B is inside. Who are you?" Faith questioned warily.

"My name is Miss Sandra Webster, I'm a watcher, well specifically I'm Chia's watcher." She glanced at a small blonde who stood with the group.

"Okay sorry about this but we have to have reality check." Faith twirled the staff and touched the edge to her arm checking she was real. She moved around doing it to all of the girls. "Great, welcome to the fortress come on in." She waved for Willow to momentarily turn down the perimeter as she led them inside.

"I completely understand." Miss Webster nodded understanding as the eleven of them filed in. "I must say Faith, you're not exactly what I expected."

"Sexier, I know." Faith grinned. "We pretty much have things ready for you."

-x-

Buffy looked around the gathering at the dining room table. It hadn't taken long to settle the new arrivals into other houses. Everyone had been pretty easy to decide where they wanted to be and who they wanted to bunk with, most of the newcomers having already broke off into security groups.

"Well with everything arranged as far as sleep space goes, we need to decide how we are going to arrange our living spaces." Miss. Webster spoke up. "You know, do we function and act like three separate houses."

"And supplies." Xander added and she nodded in agreement.

"It could seriously reduce tension if we used each house as a base unit for the people in there." The Watcher went on.

"We've been training during the day, I think we should do that together but we could stay in three groups." Buffy acknowledged her and Owl's idea the night before. "Faith with one, me the second, Kennedy and Owl can take the third."

"Really?" This made Kennedy sit up instantly.

"You and Owl have the most experience dealing with the Bringers." Buffy nodded. "You can help show the others what works."

"I think it's important that we all get together at least once a day." Giles put forward.

"We need to consolidate what we know and have found out." Willow agreed with him.

"Is anyone else going to take turns being the human battery?" Andrew whined. "I'm getting bored on the couch without cable."

"How about we liberate you a play station?" Faith offered.

"Oh and many games." Andrew perked up. "Wolverine just came out, they should have received the shipment before they fled town."

"What ever you want." Faith nodded trying to get him to shut up again.

"So we eat sleep and function as three separate houses, but train and work together." Tara checked. "And meet once a day for consolidation?"

"There's too many of us to try and do it all here." Buffy nodded knowing they were getting too overloaded trying to cook for them before the new horde had arrived.

"I think we should go by the hospital as well and liberate medicine and stuff." Zoë put forward. "Just going on the liberation idea."

"I can be night watch man." Spike offered from a corner. "You know patrolling round as a back up for the security system."

"Thank you." Buffy looked at him with a soft nod. She hadn't wanted to ask him but that had been her idea for him within the plan.

"It makes sense." Spike shrugged but was touched. "If its alright with you Faith, I can bed down in your room during the day to get some shut eye."

"Mine's the convert in the basement so yeah it's a good idea." The dark Slayer nodded.

"It's getting late." Buffy glanced at the clock. "We should try and sleep, I know its not easy people, I really do. But we need to try." She glanced around. "We'll meet here nine thirty tomorrow morning, to split into our training groups. Agreed?"

"I have the perimeter on an internal alarm so if any areas fails it will sound on my laptop." Willow assured everyone.

"Come on troops. Everyone with me lets go." Faith stood up.

The eight people sharing the largest house with the dark Slayer stood up.

"Thank you Faith." Buffy smiled.

"See everyone in the morning." Faith winked at her. "And I mean everyone." She underlined moving to the door and leading her troop out to get settled.

"Should we take our little troop Sandra?" Giles pushed up smiling.

"Yes, I for one will feel much better after a good rest." The other watcher stood up and moved towards the door with the other girls.

Soon the twenty-six that had filled the dining room was down to just eight.

"I'll get out on patrol." Spike pushed up and left.

"We should get some sleep baby." Willow put her hand over Tara's.

"Do you want cocoa?" She asked tenderly

"That could be nice for everyone." Willow nodded back. "Anyone else want cocoa?"

"Me please." Andrew put his hand up as he shuffled back to the couch, they had once more swapped places with the recliner to make him more comfortable.

"Anya and I can fix them for everyone." Dawn stood up and took the former demon's hand.

"Yes, we're helpful." Anya nodded turning and moving with her.

"Goodnight everyone." Tara said softly as she took Willow's hand and moved to the bottom of the stairs with her lover.

"Night." Willow followed her upstairs with her laptop tucked under her arm.

"Tara." Owl called from her propped up place on a chair.

"I'll bring up the cups baby." Tara leaned to kiss Willow's cheek before she moved back to Owl. "Yes?"

"Don't forget the box." The potential frowned as she spoke, her eyes tracing over to glance quickly at the shoe box she had retrieved the previous day before the world had been turned upside down. "I can't look at it just sitting there for another day."

"I thought you wanted Buffy to look at it." Tara asked her quietly.

"She's not up to it." Owl glanced at the Slayer who was just sat staring out of the window, obviously thinking of the two young women who had not made it through the day.

"I'll take very good care of it I promise." The blonde nodded solemnly.

"Thank you." Owl nodded. "And you can withdraw that spell you've been trying to keep up all day. I'm going to use traditional pain killers tonight, you need to sleep to."

"Are you sure?" Tara didn't try to play dumb about the spell.

"Yeah, just wait until I get up stairs okay." She smiled.

"I will." Tara gathered up the box carefully. A brief glance at Buffy confirmed that the blonde Slayer was very much in her own world and she whispered good night not expecting a response. She moved up the stairs and into her room sitting next to Willow on the bed and placing the box in front of her.

"What's that?" Willow questioned tying up her hair.

"Shanti's things." Tara looked at it.

"Owl's Shanti's things?" Willow swallowed.

Tara merely nodded, pushing off the bed she slipped out of her daywear and into a light silk nightdress.

"She thinks there is a hint about the staff?" Willow questioned watching her lover with a smile.

"She hopes so." Tara came back and sat beside Willow.

"I hope so too." Willow nodded. "I haven't come up with much at all online. Just general staff stuff, nothing out our wonder staff."

"Did you want to look now?" Tara checked leaning out and carefully easing back the denim jacket wrapped over the box.

"Yes?" Willow looked at her lover.

"I don't know." Tara admitted as she separated the jacket from the box, beginning to fold the small item of clothing, her hand accidentally flicking the top button open as she pressed it over her arm to fold. As she tipped it, a short strip of photographs slipped out. It was obvious just from the back that they were taken in a photo booth and half had been ripped off. On the back was scrawled… Owl and Sha, 2003, we stopped, we listened, we loved.

"She was pretty." Willow looked at the photos with Tara.

Tara suddenly let the photo slip from her hand and turned to her lover, gathering her up and holding her tightly.

"Oh Willow, Willow." She rocked slightly. "I'm sorry I left." She sobbed as once more the true horror of all that her lover must have been through. In Owl she saw a grieving partner, but one who understood that life wasn't about what should have happened it was about what did happen. But Willow was no Owl, Tara knew that, and she couldn't even begin to think what it must have been like for the redhead to watch her die, to hold her body as life slipped away. Willow hugged her back tightly.

"It's not your fault baby." She tried to soothe her.

"I... I know but…" Tara held tighter. "Oh Goddess Willow." She pressed her lips to the redhead's cheek She felt her body shake a little.

"It's over baby, it's over now you're here." Willow hugged her rocking her.

"I'm sorry." Tara pushed away wiping at her tears.

"Tara, no." Willow moved so she was facing her. "You can cry, baby you can cry all you want. It's just that you have to know this wasn't your fault, any of this."

"But..." Tara frowned again. "I-I let the First hurt you, all of you. Th-th-the shield didn't help save them, and I c-c-couldn't save Rona..." Tara heard her breath hitch raspy in her throat, her stuttering returning for the first time in months.

"Tara, I know it is so hard, how helpless you feel." Willow reached up stroking her cheek. "But there was nothing you could do, there was nothing we could do to save her, or any of the others." She kept assuring her. "But we're going to make it, we're going to survive this and get married."

"But it hurts." Tara whimpered leaning against her lover.

"I know it does baby." Willow gathered her closer. "Oh baby I know, I can't even figure out how Owl is breathing... when I lost you..." She felt her eyes well up.

"But now you are, and I'm not letting anyone hurt you ever."

"I know how, that's how." Tara controlled her breath more and looked at the writing on the photos. "Shanti taught Owl those things, to stop, to listen and to love so that she can love again." Tara assessed. "Shanti was a part of Owl's life, she wasn't all of it." She took a breath again. "You are my life Will." Tara blinked wet eyes at her lover.

"You're my life Tara. I tried to end the world without you." She admitted in a hushed whisper.

"That doesn't matter, not now." Tara shook her head. "Oh Goddess I love you." She pulled the redhead close again.

"I love you too." Willow vowed feeling tears stream down her cheeks.

"No box tonight." Tara shook her head looking at the small almost insignificant looking box that had in its own way started this.

"I just want to hold you." Willow admitted sniffling.

"And I you." Tara agreed leaning briefly to put the coat, box and pictures on the floor before easing down onto the mattress gathering Willow in her arms. Willow curled as close to her as she could.

-x-

When the hot chocolates were made and delivered and Dawn and Anya safely in their beds, Andrew snoring lightly on the couch, and Willow and Tara curled up together in their room, it just left Buffy and Owl up. Both were still in the dining room, sitting or standing silent with the night sky flooding into the room from the open window. The two hot chocolate mugs were on the table soft curls of steam rising up from them to dissipate into the cool air

Buffy wasn't even aware of the crushing silence. She just replayed her moves that morning, coming up again and again with the same conclusion. Anything short of having a vision in order to get to Dawn's room sooner meant she couldn't have saved Rona. Since she didn't even know what had gone on in the basement meant she couldn't even try to place how she could do better. Unless of course she'd just not bothered sleeping and had been out on the roof keeping watch.

Eventually Owl pushed painfully up out of her chair and walked up to look out of the same window as Buffy.

"A giraffe." She said softly.

"Sorry?" Buffy turned to look at the potential.

"Molly." Owl took a quick glance at her and then looked back at the stars. "A giraffe." She assessed again. "As for Rona, that's harder." She traced her finger over the glass pane.

"Molly's a giraffe?' Buffy shook her head. "Do you need to lie down Piper?"

"No, but I bet you somewhere over in the Serengeti Plain a giraffe's born tonight." Owl repeated softly. "With the grace, bravery and courage of Molly and over in Australia, probably a kangaroo, yeah a little Joey, full of fight and bounce, but with that little bit of gawkiness that was Rona is gonna be born too." She smiled and glanced at Buffy.

"That's pretty." Buffy looked back out the window. "Hopefully they have more of a chance to live than Molly and Rona had here." She sighed heavily.

"They'll have the chance that this circle of their lives has allotted them or at least." Owl paused. "That's what Shanti would have told you." She placed her hand full on the glass. "That nothing and no one is robbed of time, because time is metered out at your creation and every second you get is a gift worked for and won for you by your creator."

"She was spiritual." Buffy's voice was flat though she didn't mean to sound angry or dismissive. "I'm not."

"That's what I told her when I was sixteen." Piper pointed out. "But to be honest." She stopped. "Then she died, and I met you."

"And that makes you feel spiritual?" Buffy turned to her.

"Sort of." Owl nodded.

"Sort of?" Buffy reached back picking up her hot chocolate on automatic.

"Because I loved Shanti, but the First destroyed her, and yet, she's not gone." Owl shook her head. "What is it if not her spirit that stays alive with me?"

"My mom came to me in a dream when this started." Buffy looked out the window. "She said I wasn't ready to face this, she kept saying I needed to rest, to get ready."

"And you feared that it wasn't her?" Owl checked.

"I'm afraid that it was, that she knows I'm going to lose." Buffy frowned.

"But you've changed Buffy." Piper pointed out. "Since that dream, that vision. Maybe she was right, then you weren't ready to face this, but think of all that has changed since then."

"Do you think I'm ready?" Buffy asked her quietly.

"All I know, is that I'm ready to go into this with you Buffy, beside you, under your banner." The potential replied. "Would I do that if I didn't think you were a capable captain?"

"Yes, because you're a bit crazy." Buffy reached up and slowly cupped her hand around Owl's cheek.

"Yeah but apart from that bit." Piper smiled and looked softly at the blonde. "You are a good captain Buffy, you couldn't have done anything today that would have made it end differently, nothing at all." The potential's voice dropped.

"I know, I keep playing it out over and over but nothing." Buffy frowned letting her hand slip away.

"I'm sorry I'm not helping much." Owl frowned too and turned away picking up her hot chocolate.

"Piper…" Buffy turned to her. "I just... you got hurt and two girls died." She sighed. "How am I better?"

"You've got better because of what you are doing now." Piper replied.

"Sitting her making you feel bad?" Buffy frowned.

"Talking Buffy, about how it effects you, how this has made you feel." She underlined trying to make the Slayer understand.

"How is your side?" Buffy put her cup down pushing up and moving to where Piper had retreated.

"Sore." Owl admitted.

"Let's take you to bed then baby." Buffy leaned and pressed her lips to the potential's forehead.

"Not until you believe me." Piper shook her head.

"I do believe you, if I didn't I'd be sitting looking out the window still." Buffy kissed her on the head again.

"Buffy." Owl took a breath and took both of the Slayer's hands in hers. "You can do this."

"No, we can remember." Buffy squeezed them. "I can't do this on my own."

"Another thing that's changed," Owl whispered stepping closer and drawing Buffy to her body. "You're not alone any more."

"I'm not." Buffy hugged her back.

"Come on then, help the old wreck up to bed." Owl chuckled. "If Tara falls asleep before I do you're going to have to carry me up the stairs."

"We really have to talk about teaching you not to use your ribs as a shield." Buffy teased as they made their ways up the stairs.

-x-

Buffy didn't really feel any of the eyes that were watching her as she squared up with Faith. She was locked with the other Slayer's dark eyes and though she knew she was giving a lesson she also knew that she was training herself.

"Eye contact means focus." She motioned for Faith to attack her. "Focus means you have time to react." She blocked a series of punches, smacking each of them away so that she wasn't touched.

"Reaction time..." She anticipated the change to kicks and fought a little harder to block them. Faith had always been very quick and powerful when it came to legwork. "Means you survive and can..." She saw an opening so she twisted at the pivot point in her right hip. She struck Faith with a spinning kick that sent her a little off balance. She pulled the power out of it not wanting to do anything that would make the dark Slayer less powerful for any real fight. "Attack." She dropped back.

"I don't care how big it is or how ugly, if you're faster you can beat it." Faith underlined what Buffy was saying. "Owl come on your turn." She urged the potential up.

Owl nodded and pushed up from her place and straightened up before moving to the front.

"Show somebody you learned something." Faith stood at the ready for her signal.

Owl blinked once and then focused on Faith's eyes, her body centralising and focusing. She could feel it priming itself ready to act and react. Moving her hands out slightly in front of her she curled one hand up and beckoned lightly to the dark haired Slayer. Faith stuttered forward and threw a jab at her head matched with another roundhouse.

Owl reached easily smacking the jab out of the air and ducking away from the roundhouse. She took a low shot as she was moving, aiming at the bulky torso in front of her, but she didn't expect to connect so she didn't put much weight into it and as her fist found only air she was able to slide off to the side.

Faith smiled as instead of turning she waited until she knew Owl had settled on her feet and jumped back hitting her in the chest with a solid kick. Owl couldn't say she was expecting that but she'd been solid enough to take the blow, throwing herself into a back flip.

She knew Faith's type too and just as she came up straight again she boxed her hands up around her head cutting off the punches the Slayer threw at her and lunched up close with a knee. As she connected with the solid muscles of Faith's stomach she almost regretted the move, but the slight give in the Slayer's body urged her on. Coming up with an elbow she managed to throw Faith away.

Faith's eyes flashed in appreciation as she jumped up with a spinning kick, not aiming for her head as Owl expected so she took a firm shot in the shoulder that put her too the ground. Faith followed her own move, coming to stomp on where Owl's body should have been but the Potential had already rolled away.

"Enough." Buffy held up her hand. "Reaction time. It can keep you alive and right now no one is going to be a good enough fighter to go Bruce Lee on anything. So get that idea out of your heads ASAP. Reaction time. Understand?"

Faith held her hand down to help Owl up as the group gave a collective grumble that the understood what Buffy was telling them.

Owl clasped her hand into Faith's and jumped up pulling the dark haired Slayer close to hug her briefly and unexpectedly.

"You did good birdy." Faith laughed and thumped her on the back.

"You too." Owl nodded as she moved back to her place on the front row.

"The worst thing any of you can do is get too fancy." Faith added seriously. "That shit you see on TV doesn't work, what works is staying alive. B and I don't care if you use a sword, a dagger, a chair leg, a sledgehammer, a frying pan, hell a rock. Anything you can use you use it, there isn't anything as rules and there isn't anything like a fair fight here."

"Okay, break off into your pairs and have a another go at 'catcha-tail' and take it seriously this time." Buffy clapped her hands together and handed out the 'Tails' for each pair to fight for.

Moving off in two's the SITs resumed their task, actually seeming to take on board the words they had been given. Without prompting Kennedy took a 'tail' from Buffy and walked to Faith.

"Wanna take me on?" She offered.

"Sure." Faith nodded pleased that so far at least the potential was taking her role seriously.

"Wanna try and catch my tail?" Owl slowly walked up to Buffy, she reached out for the strip of blue material that Buffy still had in her hand.

"Are you sure you're ribs are okay?" She handed over the material.

"From the work out Faith just gave them?" Owl smiled.

"You never know when to quit." Buffy smiled at her and then lined up her face growing serious.

"Short or long tail?" Owl asked Pushing one end of the material into the waistband of her work out pants

"Short, make it fair." Buffy watched her get ready.

"Hey I was going to be nice to you and make it long, give you an easy ride." Owl tucked it up until it was only about five inches long long. "Okay?" She turned for Buffy to check.

"Shorter." Buffy shook her head. Owl tucked more down the back of her pants, so this time there was only a tiny fob of the blue showing. "Easy round." Buffy waited for her to get into a ready position.

"Ready when you are." Owl did so making sure she rested lightly on her feet.

Buffy moved forward making a telegraphed grab at the ribbon but her true approach was to get her stance wider and blocking Owl so that when the potential tried to evade she could trip her and put her down softly.

Owl was about to move, when Dawn came to the back door.

"Buffy, Faith!" She called loudly.

"What?" Buffy stopped her move stepping aside and looking at her sister.

"Giles wants a word with you two." The brunette shrugged.

"Kennedy team up with Owl." Faith jogged behind Buffy to the door moving inside to find the watcher in the dining room. In front of him on the table was a plain shoebox.

"What the hell are you doing with that?" Buffy accused in a hard tone when she saw what was on the table.

"I'm sorry?" Giles frowned and looked at the box.

"That isn't yours, you shouldn't be rummaging through it." Buffy moved over starting to put things back into the box.

"Tara brought it to our meeting this morning, she said that she believed it may be helpful." Giles defended his actions.

"Tara?" Buffy looked over at the blonde horrified.

"Buffy, Owl asked me to take it last night." Tara replied softly, actually feeling touched that Buffy would be so protective over the small items though wanting the Slayer to understand she hadn't been looking through them without expressed permission.

"She did." The blonde Slayer pulled back. "Oh... okay then." She looked at the Watcher. "What did you find?"

"The most helpful thing thus far is this." Giles held up a short but thick book.

"A diary." Faith twirled a chair around straddling it as she read the gold wording on the book.

"Well yes so it would pronounce to the world, but it's actually more of an almanac." Giles corrected.

"Great, what's that mean G-man? Spell to kill the First by any chance?" Faith cocked her head to one side as Buffy slipped into her own chair.

"No." It was Tara that gently shook her head. "An almanac is like an a-z of something." She went on. "That is updated annually usually."

"So what did it tell you?" Buffy looked at the witch. "The name of the staff?"

"Exactly." Willow nodded enthusiastically.

"Great which told us what?" Faith grinned.

"The weapon is the Staff of Santerminadya." Giles spoke the word slowly for them. Both Buffy and Faith looked at him waiting for more.

"We've found various references to it in folk law." Tara took up the retelling.

"Who made it?" Buffy questioned.

"Screw who made it, what can it do? Can we slice and dice the first?"

Faith cut her off.

"Actually we still don't know that much about it." Giles admitted with a scowl.

"As far as we can tell, the Staff hasn't actually ever been used." Willow looked at Buffy.

"It's also known as 'The Staff of The Three'." Sandra Webster put in.

"Staff of three?" Buffy looked at the female watcher.

"Yes." Sandra nodded. "We're not entirely sure what 'three' this refers to."

"We're researching." Willow nodded.

"We just wanted you to know." Tara backed up her lover.

"Hey at least it's something." Faith nodded getting up. "We should get back to the troops."

"If Shanti gave the name didn't she say more?' Buffy pushed not moving.

"There are other things written here, but I'm afraid none of us read Urdu." Giles pointed to the finely scrolling Indian script. "Which is why…" He paused. "Buffy we were wondering if you could do something for us." He looked down and uncomfortably fiddled with his collar.

"What? You want me to check if Owl reads it don't you." Buffy looked at him.

"It would be most beneficial Buffy." Giles looked up not actually confirming her suspicious.

"Give it to me." Buffy held out her hands and Giles slid the book along the table. "I'll ask her but if she doesn't know she doesn't know okay?' She glared at him.

"Of course Buffy." Giles nodded. "I understand this must be hard for the girl." He added turning and picking up another book.

"Hard, this is unbearable Giles." She snapped at his apathy.

"Buffy I find it very sad that Owl has had to face at such a personal level the sacrifices of being a slayer, but this is a war and there has to be casualties." Giles snapped back.

Everyone in the room looked at him in silence, the tone of his voice has been unusually forceful for the usually sedate man.

"Casualties that you haven't buried Giles." Buffy growled. "You just count up the numbers and drive into me again and again that we're losing. Well this sacrifice, her sacrifice." She waved the book at him. "She's tried to tell you something that apparently your Council decided she wasn't good enough to do, why don't you live up to her example and find me something I can use rather than underlining the same tired war has casualties speech you have on repeat." She turned and stalked to the door.

"I'll go man the troops." Faith hung around for a moment before hurrying back out towards the yard.

"Tea anyone?" Sandra looked around the silent room of researches. "We have a lot of reading still to do."

-x-

Buffy hung away from the group watching as they all scurried around trying to pull the small blue strips off each other.

"Owl." She called out trying not to be too loud when she saw her tall lover manage to get Kennedy's strip of fabric.

"Nice job Ken." Owl patted her shoulder smiling before jogging over to Buffy. She wiped her hand over her forehead. "Hey baby, how did it go with Mr. Snooze?"

"Can I talk to you around the side for a minute." Buffy tried to look up into green eyes but she couldn't.

"Of course." Owl began to feel slightly uneasy as they moved away.

"I'm sorry I have to ask you this, but... They found the name of the staff in her book." Buffy's voice was soft but uncomfortable.

"They opened the box." Owl took a step back, her back knocking lightly into the brickwork of the building.

"Tara did, she said you gave it to her. You did right?' Buffy checked ready to go tear off everyone's head if they had been lying to her.

"Yes, yes I did, last night, you were too upset and I didn't need it just lying there for another day." Owl hastily nodded trying to reign in the turmoil in her head.

"Just one simple question, then you don't have to think about it." Buffy tried to soothe seeing her panic. "Do you read Urdu?"

"Yes." Piper gave a nod. "It was the first thing Shan... She taught me when we met."

"Fuck." Very uncharacteristically Buffy swore and kicked the fence a few feet away making the wood rattle. "Okay, I'll get Will to copy it, so you don't have too..." She gripped the book in her hand tighter. "There's a passage they think might say something about what the staff can do."

For the first time in their conversation Owl noticed Buffy held something in her hand.

"The almanac." Owl instantly recognised the bound spine. "I... I wasn't sure I'd taken it from the apartment before the fire." She frowned at the book.

"It's where they found the name." Buffy nodded. "But no one other than you reads Urdu." She looked down.

"Oh. Of course." Owl frowned harder. "They need me to translate it." She rubbed her sweating palms on her workout pants.

"Yes, I'll have Wills transcribe it." Buffy nodded. "Piper I wish I could say we didn't need you to do this." She whispered.

"Getting Willow to transcribe it will just take time." Owl shook her head and held out her hand towards Buffy, her fingers trembling as they beckoned. "Give me the book."

"Piper are you sure?" The Slayer stepped closer her voice soft.

"We need to know all we can know." Piper tried to sound assured. Buffy reluctantly handed it over opening it to the marked page. "The Staff of Santerminadya." Owl read now remembering the name. "See I wasn't to far out." She tried to laugh, but the sound died in her throat.

"You did great." Buffy encouraged her.

"I... I probably need to sit to do this." Owl looked up.

"Do you want to go in the house? You can write it down so that Giles won't be an ass and keep asking for the details again and again." Buffy almost seethed her Watcher's name.

"No, no I'd rather be on my own." Piper shook her head.

"Want me to get you some paper and a pen?" Buffy backed up a bit.

"Please." Piper glanced up at her before slowly sliding down the wall to sit at the base of it the small book cradled in her lap.

Buffy turned stalking back into the house and into the kitchen, she shuffled around in a few drawers before she went into the dining room where everyone was. Plucking the pen out of Giles hand before he could object, she leaned and tore off a wad of paper throwing the rest on the table.

"She reads it, she's making you a translation but stay away from her while she does." She stated firmly and stalked back out. By the time she reached the side of the house she had tempered some of her emotion and bent down. "Here." She offered softly.

"Thank you." Owl took both from her.

"I'll wait at the end of the wall." Buffy pointed back as she stood up. "If you need anything..." She left the statement open.

"Buffy no." Owl looked up. "Please, stay." She glanced at the floor beside her. "If you can that is."

Buffy slipped around pivoting on her ankle and sat down beside her.

"This isn't about me Piper." She shook her head. "I'm here if you want me to be."

"I meant more if the SITs can spare you." Piper frowned. "I don't want to be needy."

"Faith and Kennedy can deal." Buffy put her hand on Piper's arm. "This is about you."

"Stay." Piper breathed again before turning back to the book. Buffy nodded settling in her place and within a few moments Piper began writing down quickly the translation.

Buffy watched her feeling more and more anger at the First and the very world for that matter. She could feel the rage at it all bubbling inside her as she watched her love struggle with the small but difficult task. After a moment or two more Owl looked up frowning.

"This isn't going to be that easy." She whispered.

"What's wrong?" Buffy questioned looking at the scrolling text. It was beautiful she thought with its curves and lines.

"Shanti was smart." Piper explained with a small proud smile.

"So are you." The Slayer assured her.

"Maybe, but she didn't want this to fall into the wrong hands and any one who could read Urdu to just pick it up and read it." Piper frowned again.

"She put it in code?" Buffy questioned confused.

"Not exactly, she wrote some of it in Hindi, some in Urdu, and other parts in some other old India script." Piper pointed out the slightly different script styles.

"Oh." Buffy looked down at it not really seeing that much of a difference. "Do you read all of them?"

"Yes, but my Tamil is rusty." Owl admitted. "It may take me a little while to understand what it actually means rather than what it says." She explained more.

"Take your time." Buffy reached to rub her back. "You're the only one who can do this, and I know you can."

"I'm sorry to be slow." The SIT apologised.

"Piper, listen to me. No one but you can do this, if we gave Giles weeks he wouldn't be able to. Slow is fine, slow is great. Just do your best." Buffy kissed her shoulder through her shirt.

"I would love a coffee." Piper seemed to relax a little as she looked at Buffy.

"You want that speciality creamer in it." Buffy rubbed her back again.

"Please." Owl actually smiled.

"I'll be right back." The Slayer nodded and pushed up. "Take your time." She reassured her again.

Watching her go Owl pulled herself up and stretched out her legs. Closing the book, but keeping her thumb carefully marking the spot Owl took a few short paces out along the path up the side of the house. She looked up at the cloudy sky and drew in a sad breath.

Continuing down the path as it broke into the front yard, she headed to the front of the perimeter and stopped to lean on the tree near to where she could just about make out the thin trip wire that marked the boundary.

"Hey there, fighter." A soft slightly Indian accented voice breathed out and filled the air.

Piper's green eyes slowly panned up, filling with unstoppable tears as they took in the small dark haired woman who stood on the front walk, holding a passion flower lightly in her hands.

"I know you're not her." Owl hissed, the grip she had on the book became tighter.

"Yes I know, your brain knows that fact, but what about your heart, what about your body?" Shanti asked twirling the flower over and over.

"Stop it." Piper clenched her jaw.

"Why are you bothering to do this Pip?" Shanti titled her head, blinking dark brown eyes at her. "I've already won, you know that."

"You haven't won anything, not while there are any of us left, we can still beat you, we will beat you." The potential's jaw was tensed so hard that it actually sent flares of hard pain up into her ears.

"But why bother fighter, what do you have left to fight for?" The vision teased. "The only person who ever thought you were worth anything is dead." Shanti dropped the flower onto the sidewalk. "There I go again talking about myself in the third person. I mean, I'm dead, you let me die." She looked up directly at Owl. "Wasn't I worth fighting for, fighter?"

"Shut up." Piper snarled. "Shut your fucking mouth."

"Oooo now Piper, we tried to work on that anger of yours, that nasty tongue." Shanti shook her head and tipped her finger from left to right. "Has that naughty little Slayer made you forget everything you learned with me." She accused. "Made you forget all the softness I taught you in our bed."

"I'm going to fucking kill you." Completely forgetting about the trip wire and boundary set-up Piper pushed forward tripping instantly over the thin wire and colliding hard with the concrete path beyond as she clawed at the apparition.

The rush of alarms and sirens was almost instant as Piper's foot caught on the line as she lunged though her form melted uselessly through the Shanti image. The front door burst open as Buffy came running out seeing Piper's dive for the pavement.

"Piper!" She screamed racing across the front lawn.

"You think this is torture, you think this is pain little girl." Shanti hissed knelling down beside her. "You don't know the meaning of the word."

"Get away from her." Buffy moved over to protect the fallen potential.

"Neither of you know anything of the darkness that I can create." The woman's eyes grew blacker.

"And you have no idea how badly I'm going to kick your ass." Buffy snarled.

"I'll be seeing you both again." The First breathed and then disappeared.

"Piper, are you okay?" Buffy bent down with her instantly.

"I'm sorry." Owl drew herself into a ball.

"Piper, Piper you can't listen to it, that wasn't Shanti and nothing it would say to you is true. It just wants to hurt you." Buffy tried to get her to listen.

"I mean I'm sorry I listened, I'm sorry I broke the alarm." Piper stopped her hard sobs that were threatening to choke her.

"Baby it's fine." Buffy tried to make her see. "Willow can reset the alarm... Piper you didn't do anything wrong."

"I... I should get back to work." Owl struggled to her feet, only then discovering the small trickle of blood that ran down the back of her fingers from where she'd scuffed them on her collision with the concrete, slowly the blood seeped down, staining the top of yellowing pages.

"Piper..." Buffy stopped and reached out taking the book from her and holding her hand. "Let me take care of you, then we'll deal with the book." She added her voice soft as everyone else stayed by the house as Faith surveyed for more attackers.

"Why would you?" Piper asked, the First words running circles in her brain

"You know why." Buffy underlined to her looking into green eyes.

"Why?" Piper asked again her bottom lip trembling.

"Because I love you Piper." Buffy whispered clutching her hand around the potentials.

Letting her eyes close slowly, sending tears spilling over onto her cheeks, Owl let Buffy urge her in the direction of the house.

-x-

Buffy hadn't bothered with any of the confusion and melee in the house as the alarms blared and SIT's scampered about either thinking they were ready to fight or cowering petrified. Her only focus was getting Piper upstairs and away from everyone for a bit so that she could begin to calm down.

Not that Buffy was sure that calming down was possible, after all she'd seen the stunning young woman that had been Shanti, and seeing her in a picture and seeing her recreated identically by the First was too different things. Even the tone of her voice was something Buffy could tell must have ripped through Piper's heart with its honey soft notes.

"Will get that turned off please." She saw the two witches in the doorway to the living room and made the small plea as her head felt like it was splitting open with the assaultive noise. She knew when she saw Willow scurry towards her laptop she could consider it done.

Getting Piper up the stairs wasn't as hard as she'd thought, the Potential had settled into a stiff almost puppet like position and she was easily led to the room they shared.

Buffy closed and locked the door behind them, shutting out the half dozen concerned faces that seemed to want instruction or guidance from her when she just didn't have any to spare.

"Sit down, Wills going to make that stop." Buffy pressed on her shoulders getting her to sit on the bed as she pulled open the dresser side table and got some alcohol wipes trying to clean up the patches of blood from the annoying abrasions.

"It's loud." Owl's voice was hollow, she didn't even wince as the wipes eased over her grazed skin.

"Yeah it is." Buffy squinted against the noise wishing she could close her ears but then mid howl the alarm abruptly stopped. She finished cleaning the shallow wounds and then looked up into distant eyes. "Piper, it wasn't Shanti." She whispered firmly.

"It was the First." The potential's voice never changed neither did her unblinking stare.

"Yes, it wasn't her. It looked like her and it sounded like her but it wasn't her talking." Buffy stood up a bit and took Piper's face in her hands. "Look at me."

Owl's head moved easily in Buffy's hands, but her dark eyes fell down, focusing on the floor.

"Piper McCaffery Look at me!" Buffy demanded firmly. Green eyes blinked and then focused on Buffy's face. "It's not your fault she died." Buffy rubbed her thumbs across Owl's cheeks her voice tender and soft again. "You didn't let her die, you would have died in her place and you know that in your heart baby."

"But I didn't." Owl shook her head very slightly. "I didn't get to fight for her, to save her, to die for her." She breathed. "I got her killed."

"You didn't Piper, you just said it. You weren't there to make it happen, you weren't there it was the First that did this to her, to you." Buffy moved around and hugged the potential from behind. "You have to remember what happened Owl, you didn't kill her."

"But if it weren't for me." Piper argued. "Then maybe she would still be alive, she would have made it here, she could have been some real use to you unlike me." The potential tossed the small book she now held in her other hand to the floor.

"Piper, I've only known you a really short time okay and I'm sure anyone could argue that it's not enough to know, but it is. If Shanti got to love you for all that time, she wouldn't have given it up for anything, not for the Council and not so that she could be here instead of you." Buffy hugged her tighter. "I've only got to love you for what a week and I already know I wouldn't give that up."

"It had no right to use her." She whispered angry and leaned back into Buffy's embrace.

"It didn't, not at all." Buffy agreed her own anger showing. "And we're going to make it pay for that. Shanti's going to make it pay Piper because I know that somewhere in that book of hers is the knowledge she knew was going to help us and she sent you to deliver it because she knew it was safe with you."

"I…" Owl's eyes traced back over to the book. "I should get on with it." A frown tugged at her forehead.

"No, I didn't mean this moment." Buffy held her tight not letting her move. "I mean she's not gone Piper, she's still with you and protecting you and helping you and most of all loving you."

"I can hear her now, she'd be laughing at me, in her way of course, for letting the First get to me, and she'd be softly underlining to me that it's just words, the majority of them meaningless." Piper admitted. "She'd be telling me to focus on what I have to do, and how I should know that the things it chose to say were picked form my own head, my own weaknesses." She continued to rationalise. "And then she would have kicked my ass for getting blood on her Almanac."

"She sounds lovely." Buffy admitted. "And she's right Piper, well other than kicking your ass." She rubbed her hand over dark hair.

"She was lovely, but she would have kicked my ass, she had a wicked temper sometimes, when I messed with her shit mainly." Piper replied smiling softly.

"Mmmmm I think you need an ass kicking, a light one, sometimes." Buffy smiled at her resting her head on the potential's shoulder. "I know I do."

"Are you sure about us?" Piper said suddenly. "I mean," She pulled up off the bed away from Buffy. "Its been a whirlwind and... And when I first did what I did, I mean when I first kissed you, I did it because, well because I wanted to, because my plan was basically to come here and kill the First or be killed trying, I didn't have anything to loose. But now..." She stopped and looked at Buffy.

"Piper, I didn't have a plan for you to walk through the front door and end up kissing you." Buffy shook her head. "But it has."

"I know it has." Owl frowned more. "That's not what I'm asking..." The potential was stopped by a light rapping on the door.

Buffy pushed up and pulled it open.

"What?" She looked her eyes flaring.

"Buffy." Giles was stood the other side of the door, he took a slight step back surprised by her demeanour. "I just came to check everything was all right."

"Just a scratch or two." She tried to calm down a bit. "We just need to talk okay, is everyone else all right?"

"Yes, yes everyone is fine, I've suggested we break early for lunch, go to our three house bases." The Watcher explained.

"That's great... Tell Dawn we'll be down in awhile." Buffy nodded moving to close the door.

"What happened Buffy, has Owl been able to tell you?" Giles stepped forward a little to prevent the door closing. "Was it something to do with the book? How is the translation coming?"

"The First just wanted to pay her a visit Giles, upset her because it can." Buffy stepped in close to him. "And she's working on it, apparently Shanti has it in coded dialect so it's going to take her some time. But unless you think you can do better she's our shining star right now."

Uncharacteristically Giles put his hand around Buffy's arm and made to move her further from the room.

"You cannot afford to get personally involved in things Buffy." He said in a tight whisper.

"Giles what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Buffy stepped out closing the door slightly behind them so Piper wouldn't have to hear.

"You know what it means." The Watcher said seriously.

"Maybe I meant more watch your step Giles, you really don't want to start making stupid suggestions to me right now." Buffy's voice was just as serious.

"It's not a stupid suggestion, it's a piece of advice. You're attention needs to be on the First, assessing it and deciding a plan on beating it, you focus can not be trivialised by other things." He scowled.

"Assessing what Giles, a ghost that can rise up unknown numbers of Bringers to kill these girls off? Do you think I need anything longer than a millisecond to assess that?" Buffy looked him up and down. "I know what my job is here Giles, I know exactly what I have to do and don't you worry I'll do it. Excuse me if along the way part of my job is protecting them, and excuse me again if you are still on the same lame old rant about how I can only be focused on the kill. Is that what you want Giles? Empty, feelingless Buffy with no other thoughts but the kill? Because that worked so well last year didn't it, with the Troika, with the First letting us think Tara was dead, with Willow trying to blow up the world. With you bailing on us because you couldn't deal."

"I had work to do elsewhere!" Giles defended instantly.

"Fine, but what about the rest of it Giles? Was any of that helped by me feeling like doing nothing but fucking Spike all the time so that at least he could beat the shit out of me?" She questioned him harshly. "Is that going to help us beat the First?"

"Of course not, that was, regrettable." Giles frowned briefly.

"Regrettable?" Buffy spat out the word. "I made a choice Giles and that choice is I'm not going to be empty anymore. I'm not going to feel ashamed or ruined or like I'm not human. I'm going to feel as good as I can with all that is going on and part of that is Piper. She makes me feel alive and loved, and that is what I need to kill the First."

"And what if she is killed in the battle against the First?" Giles stated bluntly.

"I'm going to do exactly what I'm going to do if she lives through it Giles, Kill the First and save the world." Buffy countered. "You don't trust me do you?"

"I've seen you when your loyalties are divided Buffy." Giles pointed out. "We all lived with you through Angel." He added. "When the battle is on you cannot be looking over your shoulder for where she is and what she is doing. She's not worth jeopardising your position over."

"Isn't she?" The Slayer looked at him shaking her head. "Giles no matter how many speeches we give, we're not an army. We can't do this military style. In any fight I'm not just going to be looking where she is, I'm going to be watching Dawn and you, Tara, Willow, hell Anya and Xander. It's my job to try and keep everyone alive."

"Not in this." Giles shook his head firmly. "Your job is to destroy the First."

"And you're job is to get me the information to do that but so far the only one who has any hope of giving us anything is Piper isn't it?" Buffy snapped at him her momentary calmness breaking. "You lived through me killing Angel Giles? I live with what I've done every single day, I dealt with the Master, I dealt with Glory, I dealt with dying so many times I'm losing count. I dealt with my mom dying and you having important things to do, I even had to live with Tara getting shot in my bedroom and Willow trying to kill us all. And maybe when this First is destroyed you should know I'm done. I'm retiring."

"You are The Slayer Buffy, you can't retire!" Giles announced sternly.

"Faith is also The Slayer." Buffy stepped away. "I'm done Giles, I can't do this anymore. I just want to find a little peace."

"That's not a choice you can make." Giles shook his head.

"Giles what choices do I get to make then?" The blonde looked at him sadly. "I'm not allowed to live, I'm not allowed to retire, I'm not allowed to die, I'm not allowed to fall in love, I'm not allowed to be happy. Do I get to choose anything or am I just a slayer robot?"

"Buffy." Giles took a breath and looked at her. "I understand this is hard for you, and you know as well as I do, in the past I have struggled for your independence, I have even faced the Council for you, but this is different. The First is like nothing we have faced before."

"Giles nothing we face is ever like anything we've ever faced before, remember Glory? We thought she was the be all end all and we beat her." Buffy tried to make him understand. "I beat Glory because I had my back against the wall and I wanted to save the people I loved, to save Dawn. I can't win if I don't believe in what I'm doing, and to do that I need to feel something."

"I understand that to a point Buffy, but you have your friends and family to love and win for, Owl is a potential." Giles tried to make the distinction.

"Giles, I can just see the strange muted colour your going to turn but..." Buffy looked at him. "I'm in love with her. So deal." She moved to put her hand on the door.

"You can't possibly have had the time to be in love with her Buffy." Giles shook his head. "I am not going to waste my time pretending that this is more than it is, because all it is is a distraction, you say she is different from Spike, but how much different is she? Because she's a girl do you think she will be safer?" His voice was angry as she turned.

"Don't dare compare her to Spike." Buffy whirled on her heel and reached up almost slapping him. "Don't you dare."

"Frightened that I'm right." Giles maintained her angry stare, not flinching at her raised hand.

"No, frightened that you don't have any idea who I am anymore." Buffy lowered her hand. "Frightened that you can't even see when someone hurts me, frightened you can't see when someone doesn't."

"Tara suggested we meet back at two." Giles backed off and walked to the stairs. "Make sure you are rested and have eaten by then Buffy."

"If you knew what he did to me then you'd know why Owl is different." Buffy watched him go frowning as he didn't even give her words any consideration.

"Once upon a time Buffy you would have told me by now, all about everything worry you, troubling you, hurting you." He turned on the top step, his scowl gone and replaced by a sad look.

"Giles..." Buffy looked down ashamed wrapping her arms around her body. "He... He tried to make me." She hated how stupid the words sounded, she was the Slayer, and she could stake him anytime she wanted but no she couldn't. Something inside her was so hurt and wounded she couldn't bring herself to do anything much. She couldn't glance up at her Watcher because she couldn't bear to see him condemning her and what she had done.

The shock, pain and anger were instantly visible over Giles' soften features.

"Oh my dear Lord." He stepped back up the stairs and wrapped his arms around Buffy, resting his hand on her head that he cradled against his chest. "My dear, dear Buffy." He shook his head. "I am such a fool, I am so, so sorry." He kissed the crown of her head lightly.

"I... It was my fault. I shouldn't have..." Buffy felt the warmth and strength of his embrace closing her eyes she could barely believe it was real. She couldn't remember the last time the Watcher had hugged her.

"Shush, shush Buffy." He held her tighter. "This was not your fault." He kissed her head again. "Oh my dear child, I failed you so very badly didn't I?"

"It's not your fault Giles." Buffy slipped her arms around hugging him, she felt every inch the child. Her mother dead, her father God knew where and all that left her with was Giles.

"When this is over, Spike leaves Sunnydale, dead or alive." Giles vowed softly stroking her hair for a moment. "Go back to your friend Buffy." He eased back from her and cupped her cheek momentarily. "Thank you for telling me." He added.

"She won't do that to me." Buffy tried to make him understand more.

"Of course not Buffy, I wish... I wish I had known." He frowned again though this time at himself. "Are you happy? With Owl I mean?"

"She makes me feel alive again." The Slayer nodded.

"A gift I fear we could not truly have given you." Giles crossed back over to her and kissed her forehead. "Don't let her hurt you." He whispered tenderly.

"She's going to help us win this Giles." Buffy looked up at him. "I don't know how yet but she will."

"If she does nothing more than makes you feel, she has helped us." Giles smiled kindly and backed off again. "Tell her to take her time and that the translation can wait as long as she needs it to." He put his hand on the stair rail.

"She'll get it done Giles, she knows how important it is." Buffy nodded and moved back to the door.

-x-


	17. Chapter 17

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Seventeen.**

Buffy pushed into the room feeling drained but knowing that she had something very important to face. She wasn't sure what to expect as she looked to the bed and Piper but she knew she couldn't run away from it.

"That was Giles." She summed up stupidly.

"I guessed, there aren't many middle aged Englishmen in the house." She paused looking up from where she was picking at one of the grazes on her hand. "Everything okay?"

"Yes." Buffy nodded. "You can't pick at it Piper." She moved over gathering up the potential's hand. "I know this is totally of the topic of you and what the First just did but I want you to know I told him... About Spike... About how I feel for you."

"He didn't know? A-About Spike that is." Owl blinked up at Buffy letting her hand rest in Buffy's limply.

"No." She shook her head. "Now you asked me a question." She tried to think back but the sharp interruption had made the words elusive.

"It doesn't matter." Piper shook her head, pulling her hand lightly out of Buffy's. "Well done for telling him, has he gone to stake him?" She asked, without a trace of humour.

"I..." Buffy looked up at the door. "I don't know." She blinked at the closed object lost for a moment. "And Piper it does matter." She took her hand again. "Please."

"No it doesn't, there's probably a better time to ask it." Piper brow wrinkled a little in soft confusion as she felt the warmth of Buffy's hand. "And maybe I shouldn't even be asking." She added in a whisper.

"Piper I just told my Watcher I'm in love with you." Buffy underlined rubbing her fingers over the back of the potential's hand.

"What?" Piper looked up her brow more furrowed, her dark eyes wide.

"I told him." Buffy felt herself frown as she saw the less than excited reaction. "You were asking me if I thought this was all too fast, if this was even what I wanted and yes it is or I wouldn't have told him that."

"Oh my God." Piper breathed as she moved the other hand to Buffy's cheek resting it on the slightly chilled skin. "You are, you are so amazing, so beautiful, and so brave." She pushed forward and pressed her lips against Buffy's briefly. "And I love you." She whispered, keeping her lips close to the Slayer's.

"You're not upset at me?" Buffy blinked at her having been surprised by the sudden kiss.

"Why would I be upset?" Piper pulled back confused and worried at the same time.

"When you said 'what' you looked ready to bolt out the window." Buffy pointed out softly.

"I did?" Owl shook her head. "Are you sure that wasn't my 'Buffy cant have just said that she's in love with me because how can she love someone like me, she's so, everything, and I'm well, not' look."

"I could be wrong, I mean I was thinking it was your bolt out the window look." Buffy shrugged and swallowed. "And for the record Buffy isn't so anything she's just Buffy, you're the amazing one."

"Okay ground rule needed, we're both amazing to each other." Piper outlined before taking a breath. "The First told me that anyone who ever gave a shit about me was dead." She looked up at Buffy. "I asked, what I asked before, because I wanted to not believe it."

"Piper it so lied." Buffy shook her head defiant to it. "And not just me, you showed me your family they all love you. Lots of people who care about you are alive. Especially me." She added softly.

Piper carefully eased Buffy into a close embrace, before leaning back.

"I guess I have work to do." She said softly, still holding lightly onto Buffy's lower arms looking into her hazel eyes.

"Giles said take your time, get settled after what happened and then translate." Buffy leaned closer to her. "I was so scared when I saw you lunge at it." She admitted moving to hug her again. "I thought I wasn't going to get there in time."

"It's stupid, I know they were only words, but damn it, they hurt." Piper admitted as she moved her arms back around Buffy's body.

"I know." Buffy held her tighter leaning to lay down on the bed. "Almost makes it better when it shows up as me."

"The only thing that is better about when it does that, is that all I have to do is reach out and touch you, hold you to know that the bastard thing can't touch me, can't actually touch any of us." Piper closed her eyes as the reclined together on the soft mattress. "But knowing that it can do that, because you've died before, that's not better." Soft eyes opened and looked at Buffy tenderly. "But knowing that we're going to stop it from being able to do that to you again, makes it good."

"Very circular thinking there Piper." Buffy actually smiled back. "I think Willow is rubbing off on you."

"Hey can I help it if you, you know, send my brain a little mushy." Piper laughed softly.

"You make my brain a little mushy too." Buffy rested her head on the potential's shoulder, being shorter made it a natural move.

-x-

Willow watched the way Giles almost stomped through the dining room and she glanced at Tara. Not that it was a full-fledged stomp but for Giles is was as close as she'd ever seen.

"Do you think everything is okay?" She leaned asking Tara in a hushed voice.

"In all the time I've known him I've never seen Mr. Giles do that." Tara admitted.

"Me either." Willow leaned closer. "Should we go check on Buffy? Should I go talk to him?" She added more sheepishly.

"He's going to the wrong house." Tara pointed out as she watched him walk passed the window heading to the five-bedroom house to the right.

"Maybe he's going to talk to Faith." The redhead questioned seeing the way he was still stomping.

"I thought Faith had been great recently." Tara frowned.

"So had I, training everyone, helping take care of things. Even getting the party." Willow frowned with her.

"Oh Goddess." Tara suddenly went a little pale and moved towards the door as her mind ran in fast forward.

"Tara?" Willow was left behind as the blonde moved but she was soon in pursuit. "Tara what's wrong?" She raced after her.

"Spike, I bet he's gone to see Spike." Tara turned to glance at her lover.

"Spike? Why would he be stomping over to Spike's?" Willow followed her along.

Stopping abruptly Tara turned and looked at Willow, she reached out and rested her hand on Willow arm.

"I... I don't know, just a hunch maybe." She frowned glancing as the door of the other house shut.

"Tara, what's wrong? Why would Giles be going to see Spike?" Willow moved closer reaching her hand up to her lover's arm.

"I could be wrong, please Willow let's just go see." Tara pushed on towards the other house, with her lover following closely beside her.

-x-

"You G-man!" Faith called as the front door closed and Giles strode in. "It's the bacon isn't it?" She laughed. "Well seeing its you, we can spare a sandwich."

"Is Spike in?" The Watcher didn't look up

"Yeah asleep in the basement." The dark haired Slayer nodded.

"Thank you." Giles moved straight to the converted basement. He closed the door and locked it behind him as he climbed nosily down the stairs.

"Aye, baby slayers off limits while I'm resting." Spike sat up in bed just a sheet around his waist.

"Shut up." Giles barked.

"Oh Rupert." Spike blinked at him. "There a problem?"

"No, I don't think there's going to be." The Watcher reached the bottom of the stairs and picked up a broadsword that Faith obviously kept there.

"She left a crossbow over on the dresser." Spike laid back down assuming he'd come to pick up the weapons.

"Thank you." Giles reached up and tossed the crossbow towards the stairs well out of the vampire's reach.

"That lady watcher is fine Rupert, you should try a little tweed charm on her. Might be the last bit you get before this goes bad." Spike got comfortable.

"Any others?"

"Other what?" Spike yawned.

"Weapons Spike." Giles replied walking closer still holding the sword.

"Don't know, Faith likes to keep stocked." Spike opened one eye. "We arming up for a fight?" He questioned the Watcher.

"No." Giles shook his head and then in an instant he flipped the sword and pressed the blade against the vampire's throat. "Now just stay very still and listen." His voice dropped at least an octave as he stared coldly into the vampire's eyes.

"Rupert." Spike felt the tip pierce his skin as he stretched his neck out trying to get away from it.

"Shut up." Giles growled and Spike swallowed slowly without saying anything else. "You are the lowest form of scum this world. You were scum when you were a blood sucking scheming fiend, and I didn't think that you could sink lower." He pressed the sword tip down so it touched the vampire's pale skin. "You touch her again William and I will destroy you."

"Touch..." He moved back a bit. "Who?"

"I said shut up." Giles pushed the sword still not puncturing the skin. "You know we need you, you know that despite what you did she would never stand by and watch you hurt, but when this is over, if you are still standing… you get on that bike and you drive out of here, and you never, ever come back." He relaxed the sword in his hand gently. "Do you understand." He asked for clarification.

"Maybe she doesn't want me to go." Spike answered defiantly.

"I don't think you are listening." Giles put the pressure straight back on the blade.

"You don't expect me to agree do you?" Spike swallowed.

"You have a choice Spike." Giles spelled out. "You leave or you die, your choice."

"We'll see how the odds play out then." The vampire smiled.

In an untelegraphed move the Watcher jumped onto the bed and changed the blade angle to run horizontally across the vampire's throat, pushing down hard enough to mark.

"I don't think you're listening." He hissed. "You leave or I kill you."

"Fine, fine Rupert." Spike hissed. "You get your way."

"Do you think I'm joking vampire." Giles' eyes hardened.

"No, I think you're about to cut my bloody head off." Spike growled.

"You've done a lot for us Spike, and that is the only reason I've not decapitated you already." Giles pulled back.

"I guess trying to tell you my side of the story would be pointless." Spike sat up rubbing at his throat.

"She let you use her, beat her, whilst using and beating you and then she changed her mind, but you still wanted her, so you tried to force her." The Watcher summed up sadly.

"I didn't do it mate." The vampire stood up pulling on his jeans.

"You're saying you didn't try to force her?" Giles' eyes narrowed.

"I'm saying as soon as she kicked me off I stopped." Spike explained. "As you said Rupert things were rough between us, she liked a little push and shove."

"I'm sorry." Giles wandered back towards the bed laughing softly. "Oh mate, how could I have got this wrong, I should have listened to you." When he reached the bed he pushed a hand down on the vampire's shoulder and pushed him down in a quick short movement. Taken by surprise the vampire fell back and Giles moved with him moving the sword this time between Spike's legs pulling the blade up till it rested on the crease of his jeans.

"So you like it rough do you Spike." He growled. "Like to feel the fear and the pleasure. Are you hard now Vampire?"

"Not for you, you bloody woofter." Spike growled back.

"But I want you Spike, I want it rough with you." Giles growled pressing the sword up harder.

"I told you you're not my type." Spike pushed back a bit trying to get away from the blade.

"So you want me to stop?" Giles asked drawing the sword back a little

"Damn right, I want you to stop pointing that damn blade at me wedding tackle." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well I don't want to stop." Giles pressed it right back tighter still and Spike looked at him for a moment.

"Oh right, yeah Rupert I'm rock hard for you." The vampire growled at him. "You want me that way don't you? This little Buffy ruse to get down here and let your true feelings out."

This time Giles did drew back and stepped down off the bed.

"You really are truly pathetic William." He threw the sword away across the basement floor.

"No, I just guessed your sport." Spike laughed. "This your chance to be the Watcher you never quite were Rupert? Be the man you always wanted to be, ride in and save the ladies."

"No, if I was the watcher I wanted to be, Buffy would never have sunk to such a low as to have sex with you." Giles walked away. "And as for revealing the inner me, I've had better men than you Spike."

"I've eaten better men than you." Spike spat back.

-x-

Willow sat on the couch in the large house, next to Tara feeling very uncomfortable. That Faith had already put down large sandwiches in front of them was a nice gesture, but they were turning her stomach, well them and the fact that Giles hadn't re-emerged from the basement.

"Why do you think he's down there?" She asked Tara again.

"Because I think maybe Buffy's spoken to him." Tara frowned softly.

"Spoke to him about what?" Willow glanced down the hall and then back at Tara.

"About Spike." Tara looked uncomfortably at the closed basement door.

"Tara, baby what about Spike?" Willow turned to her fully.

"About how he hurt her." Tara replied softly.

"Hurt her?" The redhead's face paled.

"You know they had a relationship." Tara backtracked lightly. "It wasn't like ours is."

"Yes, but she broke it off and Spike slept with Anya." Willow shivered. "Goddess I hope she was really drunk."

"She did break it off Willow, but Spike…" She took a breath. "Spike didn't exactly listen."

"What?" Willow's face went paler.

"I shouldn't have told you." Tara dropped her head.

"No, no baby you can tell me." Willow put her arm around the blonde.

"He... he tried to rape her." Tara whispered the horrible words.

"He what?" Willow's body went stiff.

"I'm sorry baby." Tara looked down.

"Tara, this isn't your fault." Willow assured her before she stood up. "I'm just going to stake him." She moved to pick up a sharp wooden stake on the side table.

"Willow no." Tara pushed up and held her lover's arm. "That's not what Buffy wants."

"He tried to rape her." She gripped the stake harder.

"Yes he did, but she doesn't want that." Tara underlined softly. "It was before he got his soul." She added the small fact not sure if it made any difference.

"I don't understand, why didn't she... when he..." Willow looked down at the door.

"Willow, sweetie, shush, come and sit down." Tara urged her lover.

"Maybe Giles is staking him." Willow resisted for a moment before she moved back.

"Mr. Giles wouldn't do that would he?" Tara went a little pale.

"Tara, he hurt Buffy." Willow underlined. "It's what he deserves."

"He was a different person then, I feel sure that he's sorry." Tara tried to appease the redhead's anger.

"Are you sure?" Willow heard muffled voices downstairs.

"He has a soul he must know what he's done." Tara frowned.

"He's a vampire, he's an evil killing vampire." Willow shook her head.

"Perhaps we should go..." Tara frowned hearing more noises from the basement.

"I want to know what Giles does." Willow held the blonde's hand.

"We could ask him later." The blonde offered.

"You want to go?" Willow looked at her seeing the uncomfortable expression on her face.

"We... it's just… Dawn, Anya Andrew, Buffy and Owl are on their own." Tara looked to the front door.

"Okay." Willow threaded their fingers together and stood up.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Tara apologised again.

"No, it's not your fault baby." Willow shook her head. "Buffy... she must have had a reason for not telling me."

"Perhaps you should talk to her." The blonde offered hoping that Buffy wouldn't be too upset that she'd told Willow.

"Let's go back and finish lunch." Willow leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

-x-

Buffy took the steps slowly, taking the opportunity to stretch out her aching back as she did. She crossed the sitting room glancing at Andrew who was asleep on the couch, then at Willow and Tara who were curled up together on the armchair feeding each other chips.

"Buffy." Willow looked up at her dropping her hand. "You're up, well you're up and out of your room. Do you need anything Buffy?"

"I'm just getting drinks for the workaholic." Buffy glanced to the stairs.

"Oh I can get you drinks." Willow kissed Tara quickly and pushed up. "You've been helping translate and working and holicing, which means we need to support you. And I'm a life long Scooby all about the support, and support means drinks and donuts but since the donut shop is closed I can only offer drinks. Best drinks in town, dedicated drinks." She scooted towards the kitchen. "Did you say you wanted coffee or something cold?"

"Hey I didn't plan on breaking up cuddle time." Buffy frowned slightly as she followed Willow to the kitchen.

"No, you didn't. Most important thing is supporting you." Willow shook her head as she turned and reached out rubbing Buffy's arm a little too long. "All about that support I am."

"Okay, what's going on Will." Buffy eyed her best friend.

"Going on? I'm getting you and Owl a drink." Willow moved to the fridge. "I'm sorry did you say you wanted ice tea? I could make some, freshly brewed and iced."

"Okay wait." Buffy moved round in front of the fridge. "Is that what this is about?"

"What-what is about?" Willow squeaked. "I'm getting you a drink, there is no about any what."

"Is this about Owl and I?" Buffy asked pointed not letting the redhead open the fridge door.

"Oh course, of course it's about you and Owl." Willow nodded enthusiastically. "It's about getting you both a drink and taking care of you, the bigger picture. Taking care of my best friend, doing everything I can do for her. Because I love her and want her to be happy."

"God Willow sorry." Buffy suddenly reached out and put her hand lightly on Willow's arm. "Are you freaked?"

"Freaked, Buffy no." Willow shook her head. "Never, there is nothing to be freaked about."

"I remember being a bit of a jerk about you and Tara, and you just told me, I didn't watch you dancing with her in the back garden first." Buffy reasoned.

"You weren't a jerk you were just..." Willow went to babble then stopped. "Wait, you mean freaked about you and Owl being Sapphic?" She checked realising she'd been on a totally different stream.

"I think that's the prettiest way I've ever heard anyone say that." Buffy smiled.

"I have to give Tara credit." The redhead smiled back.

"Should have guessed, so are you?" Buffy asked a little nervous.

"Freaked about you and Owl?" Willow's shook her head grabbing her and hugging her. "Buffy, I just want you to be happy. She makes you happy right?" She checked with a whisper.

"Right." Buffy nodded.

"Though you do know you so owe me huge spillage right?" Willow pulled back teasing her. "I mean my best friend's getting gay love and I get no details."

"What do you mean?" Buffy feigned innocence.

"When did you know? When did you first kiss? Who kissed who? Are you coming to San Francisco to march in the pride parade with us? Who's the butchier of the two?" Willow began to barrage her with questions.

"Okay, okay reign it in there Will." Buffy laughed softly.

"See I knew I could overload you." She winked. "So come on did you want cold or hot drinks?" She pulled on the door of the fridge.

"Hot for Piper, cold for me." Buffy moved to the side.

"Is she having a hard time? I took a look and I couldn't make heads or tails out of it, I bet it's super hard." Willow moved to fill up the kettle.

"It's written in some kind of mixed dialect or something, I didn't exactly follow it." Buffy admitted. "She's working really hard." She frowned a little.

"She'll work it out Buffy, she seems really smart." Willow nodded.

"I just wish..." Buffy sighed. "I just wish she didn't have to."

"How is she?" The redhead asked softly. "With losing..." She didn't finish. "I can't imagine how good she's doing. She's really strong."

"She's not really, you know, talked about it." Buffy pulled open the cupboard, smiling when she saw it was pretty much stocked full. "Wow we got food." She broke off the track of thought.

"Faith and her crew did a shopping trip." Willow put her fingers up into quote marks. "She said in a week or so we're going to be down to canned food and frozen."

"No, we're not." Buffy shook her head pulling out a packet of crackers.

"We're going to be on vacation by then after you and her kill the First." Willow grinned.

"Exactly." Buffy grinned back. "See that's why you're my best friend Will." She went over and hugged her tightly.

"So where are we going? There's this great lesbian cruise line." She teased hugging her back.

"Next you'll be painting my stakes rainbow colours Will." Buffy chuckled.

"I was going to suggest that." Willow grinned more.

"So how are you and Tara doing, you look good." Buffy eased back.

"We're great." Willow's grin dimmed down to a content smile. "You don't have to worry about us Buffy, our focus is you."

"I'm good, just need to get us all through this." The Slayer's voice was firm.

"We're going to all of us." Willow vowed. "There's nothing we can't get through if we do it together Buffy."

"Willow are you sure you're alright?" Buffy looked her best friend carefully.

"I am, I just really want you to know that no matter what happens, anything at all, you can tell me, you can talk to me." Willow moved closer rubbing her arm again.

"Did Giles say something to you?" Buffy felt her stomach sink a little.

"No." She shook her head. "Tara." She admitted softly. "But it doesn't matter who said something Buffy, you're my best friend and it's all about you."

"You know about Spike." Buffy took a breath and walked away from the redhead.

"I know he hurt you." Willow whispered swallowing when she saw the Slayer back up.

"I hurt him too." Buffy shook her head and put both hands down on the work surface still turned away from the redhead.

"Buffy, I don't know what happened. I know a lot of it was my fault because of what I did, because of bringing you back." Willow moved a little closer. "But he should have never... ever... I just want to rip his head off."

Buffy took a slow breath and turned to look at Willow.

"Thank you." She whispered her hazel eyes filled with tears.

"I'll go rip it off now." Willow hugged her hard. "I'm sorry I didn't stop him, I'm sorry I didn't know. I'm sorry I was a stupid selfish addict."

"Shush, shush." Buffy held her back tightly. "We can all be sorry for so many things."

"Not as much as I am." Willow shook her head against Buffy's shoulder. "Goddess look at me, I'm trying to tell you how I'm here to help and support you and you're trying to make me feel better. I'm a selfish stupid girl."

"Willow stop it okay." Buffy pushed her back and looked at her. "You're not selfish and you're not stupid. You're our Willow and we need you."

"We need you too, I need you." Willow nodded.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just felt so stupid and we all had all these things going on." Buffy frowned shaking her head.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Willow hugged her again. "And you're not stupid either."

"Spikes still alive, well undead, everyone who knows about what he did... what happened, seems to think that's pretty stupid." Buffy admitted her voice tiny.

"We need him as a fighter." Willow gave in slightly.

"We do." Buffy nodded. "Where are Anya and Dawn?" She suddenly asked.

"Some of the girls are watching movies at Faith's house. They went to join them." She turned as the kettle clicked off and poured out Buffy's coffee.

"Because I remember cancelling the rest of the day." Buffy laughed.

"Mmmm you know Faith, she's easily corrupted." Willow laughed with her spinning the spoon in the dark mixture.

"She's good for them isn't she?" Buffy reasoned.

"Well she has a lower mental age, so they relate to her." The redhead grinned. "Not to be mean."

"No, everyone is a brains like you Wills." Buffy grinned back.

"All of her brains are in her boobs." Willow commented without thinking and then went a very deep shade of red. "I mean... no brain, big... I'm going to shut up now."

"Please do, we're all aware that you're a breast girl." Buffy laughed. "Though Wills." She knocked Willow lightly on the shoulder Willow looked at her. "I so see why." She winked.

"So what's your favourite?" The redhead looked like she would explode with glee.

"Don't ask that kind of thing!" Buffy squeaked and then leaned in to her best friends ear. "Myst." She whispered pulling back and walking through to the sitting room to find that Andrew was still asleep and Tara was no longer there.

"What?" Willow watched her leave confused. "Buffy, you can't just say that and run away." She moved after her.

"It's the answer to your personal question." Buffy laughed softly. "But don't you dare ask me to expand on my answer, you're a lesbian work it out." She poked her tongue out a little.

"I need a better hint than mist." Willow pouted.

"Myst's her name." Buffy replied dropping onto the chair she glanced at Andrew checking he was very asleep.

"Buffy we don't know a girl called mist." Willow perched on the chair arm looking down at her.

"No." Buffy felt herself blush.

"So then who is..." Willow felt her jaw drop open. "Oh my, is Myst a what?" She fell down squishing in beside Buffy in the chair.

"Yes." Buffy blushed even more. "A very personal what." She blew up into her bangs.

"Cheeky girl." Willow smacked her lightly on the leg. "That's it now I am pissed, you're at like level five lesbianism in what a week? And you told me nothing of any of this."

"Well I am a fast learner." Buffy beamed.

"Yeah but where is my best friend fretting and hype and gossip." Willow reminded her. "Even you demanded I tell you stuff about Tara remember?"

"I don't know, it... there wasn't the time me to second guess or seek your advice, I just..." Buffy glanced at the stairs. "I think I fell in love."

"You do?" Willow's eyes went wide. "Like love-love, in love-love."

"I don't know." Buffy looked uncertain. "I mean what do I know bout love-love Will?"

"As much as anyone." Willow assured her. "And that you've said it, that means lots Buffy. I knew the first time I saw Tara I was in love with her, so one week is like slow." She smiled at her.

"It took you a lot longer than that to kiss her." Buffy pointed out.

"Yeah but I'm the shy geek." Willow reminded her. "You're the confident sexy slayer."

"She kissed me actually." Buffy laughed.

"And?" Willow pushed softly.

"And I kissed her back." Buffy replied simply.

"Mmmm best kisses." Willow leaned her head on the chair back.

"Looks like someone's remembering her and Tara's first smooches." Buffy grinned making the redhead laugh.

"So she kissed you and you were thinking oh my god girl kissage, ewww girl kissage?" The redhead questioned.

"Neither I think I was thinking, wow soft." Buffy laughed.

"Very soft, best kept secret about girl kissage." The redhead nodded.

"Not scratchy bits." Buffy laughed feeling a little like a teenager again.

"Not a single scratchy bit.' Willow giggled. "So have you and Owl... lots?" She asked without asking.

"Have Owl and I what Willow?" Buffy grinned.

"You know." Willow blushed. "Don't be mean."

"A few times." Buffy blushed too.

"You do know I'm going to have to give her the shovel speech now? I vague disclaimer is nobodies friend." Willow winked at the blonde.

"The what?" Buffy asked confused.

"Shovel speech, its not important details, just that you're my best friend and no one gets to hurt you." Willow rubbed her hand. "Which is why when this is over Spike's going to meet my shovel." She underlined honestly.

"He wouldn't try it again Willow." Buffy stuck up for him.

"I don't care." Willow shook her head wrapping her arm around Buffy's. "He tired to hurt you."

"We deal with what we have right now first." Buffy underlined softly. "Wait a minute, I'm noting the distinct lack of a blonde witch from this room." She suddenly realised that Tara wasn't there anymore.

"She must have gone upstairs to meditate." Willow looked up the stairs. "She's been trying to keep focused in case we have more night time trouble."

"This isn't her battle Will, it's neither of yours." Buffy shook her head a little saddened by the idea.

"It is." She nodded firmly. "We're all in this with you."

"Second line, you, Tara, Dawn, Xander, Anya, I'm still thinking about shipping you all out of here actually." Buffy explained.

"Don't even go there slayer." Willow looked at her sternly. "See my resolve face, you know what this means."

"Someone's being moving the icons on your desktop." Buffy laughed.

"Mmmm close in the not to do list, but top is you and the ship us off plan. We've never gone for it yet and we're not about to start." Willow reminded her. "We can beat this Buffy, I know we can."

"I hope so Willow." Buffy acknowledged. "I've just remembered what living feels like, I'm in no hurry to lose that now."

-x-

Tara sat at the end of the bed watching as Owl scratched on the notepad. The potential was so caught up in what she was doing she hadn't flinched when the blonde witch had hovered in the doorway or even noticed when she'd sat down.

"Wow using slayer speed just to fix me a coffee." Owl didn't look up.

"Actually Owl it's me sorry, I didn't want to disturb your train of thought." Tara admitted.

"Oh Tara, no, come in, I was planning a break anyway." Owl looked up with a smile.

"Do you need something to eat? I could make you something." Tara offered walking closer to the bed.

"Do we have any food?" Piper laughed.

"Tones, Faith went shopping.' The blonde smiled slightly. "Like you and her did the other day."

"So not so much shopping as liberating the shops stock." Owl laughed. "I… I'm sorry for letting off all the alarms earlier, I hope I didn't cause Willow a lot of work." She added with a soft frown.

"No, Willow is a whiz with those things." Tara assured her. "And it was necessary."

"Why my knuckles needed scraping?" Piper laughed bitterly this time.

"Are they okay?" Tara didn't really clarify that it had been necessary to confront the First.

"Yes, Buffy cleaned them." Owl smiled as she mentioned the Slayer's name. "So is this a social call or did you slip in to take a peek at my work?"

"Oh social." Tara looked down. "I know how hard it is to do things like complicated translations with everyone watching you. I just w-wanted to see if you were okay after what happened."

"Sorry." Piper frowned again and shook her head. "I didn't mean to be so blunt, or you know, aggressive. I don't mind if you come and look and I know you're here to see if I'm okay." The tall potential leaned back a little. "You remind me of Shanti for that, being all openly worried and caring with the hugely spiritual side of you that is just like impossible to ignore."

"I'm not that spiritual." Tara shook her head lightly. "I just like to be aware."

"Damn I was hoping you were super spiritual." Piper laughed.

"Why?" The blonde questioned. "Do you need to meditate? I know a few that could help."

"No more like I need to know if the phrase 'The Three are The One.' means anything to you on a spiritual level." Piper admitted glancing at her notebook. "Because right now I'm thinking I'm the worst translator in history."

"The three are the one?" Tara looked at her thinking.

"Yeah, the three are the one, the three are ones, ones are the three." Owl read different ways of translating the odd phrase. "Three and one are the same?"

"No, I'm sure it's right it could be anything. Triads are very common in mythology and religion. Everything from something as basic as the spiritual trio of God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus to the three sisters of the universe who make up everything." Tara tried to help her understand. "All would mean the same... three combine or work as one."

"But this is in direct relation to the staff, there is only one staff." Owl frowned harder.

"But it might not be a physical literal, it may be something else, well two other things in combination with the staff." Tara offered softly. "A combination of three things needed to make it most effective."

"Maybe." Owl admitted. "I don't know, every other reference to it underlines that it's unique, a one of a kind thing, creator unknown, it wasn't fashioned, it wasn't forged. It's never even been used."

"Maybe there are two more pieces to it, that we don't have." The witch brainstormed.

"But it looks just like it should from this little picture." Owl picked up Shanti's book and showed the blonde the tiny pencil sketch."

"Have you finished all of the translation?' Tara studied the tiny drawing.

"More or less, there are several cross reference points I've not followed through to translate yet." She admitted. "I… I just get distracted."

"Piper, take your time. This is something you need to work through, both the translation and what has happened." Tara assured her softly reaching to put her hand on the Potential's arm.

"What has happened?" Owl seemed confused for a moment as she looked at Tara's hand. "Oh… you mean Shanti." She forced the name out.

"Take your time." The blonde nodded.

"She'd want me to be doing this, focusing on what needs to be done." Piper looked down at the small book again.

"Do you need anything to help?" Tara squeezed her hand and pulled back.

"For it to make sense." Piper admitted.

"I haven't been a Scooby as long as the others Owl but I do know that something's the things that make the least sense turn out to make the most when you get one small piece." Tara smiled at her. "Willow and I can start researching the Three are one reference, we might find something to collate with."

"That would be great." Piper smiled. "At the same time." She looked up at the blonde. "Can you check Buffy's okay."

"She's talking with Willow, they were laughing and giggling so I think they are okay." Tara admitted.

"You guys, you're all so…" Owl stopped thinking for a moment. "Close." She assessed.

"The Hellmouth does that quickly." Tara nodded with a soft smile. "I know what it's like to feel like an outsider though, I still am most of the time."

"What?" Piper's eyes went wide. "Tara you're like the hub of this operation."

"I'm not." She laughed lightly. "I'm the shy quiet one, Willow's girlfriend."

"Who can kill Ubers and hello, heal me." Owl shook her head again.

"I try to do what I can to be useful." The witch downplayed it.

"Yeah right, while the rest of us try not to get our asses busted." Piper laughed softly.

"I've trained a lot recently, I was never this good." Tara looked away slightly. "But things made it necessary."

"Funny you seem like a natural witch." Piper replied. "God that sounded weird!"

"I know what you meant." She smiled. "All witches are natural but any of us have to train to get more focused and more capable."

"Well it doesn't take a genius to know that you and Will can kick my ass any time you like, so I'll just be being super nice to you forever." Owl grinned at her.

"I'm sure the only time you would have to worry about Willow is if you hurt Buffy or me, but we know you're not going to do that." Tara looked into the potential's green eyes, her voice was soft matching her blue eyes that exuded trust not accusation.

"Then I have no worries." Piper smiled and then yawned. "Sorry, it's not a reflection on the company."

"Why don't you rest for a bit? I'll make you and Buffy a snack." Tara stood up. "Her and willow usually can only giggle for so long."

"You know if you're this nice to all of us, you might have to rent those other two houses permanently." Owl pointed out.

"It would be nice if you stayed after all of this was over." Tara hung in the doorway.

"If I'm wanted I might just do that." Owl admitted.

"She doesn't open her heart to just anyone Piper." Tara whispered softly.

"I hope I turn out to be one of the lucky ones."

"I think you already are." Tara encouraged as she slipped out.

-x-

"So this links clearly to the alternative title we have for the stave." Sandra Webster glanced at the pages of translation that Willow had scanned and copied for everyone at the table.

"The Staff of Three." Giles echoed.

"But it doesn't actually tell us what the three is." Faith pointed out.

"I have a theory." Willow slowly put up her hand.

"That it's a demon?" Anya sung brightly, but then apologised quickly.

"No, more that it's a reference to the three disciplines of staves." The redhead gave her a sideways look.

"The who of what-what?" Buffy looked at her friend.

"When I was trying to find out about it I came across three types of staffs." She turned to Buffy. "The staff as it is now is the first type." She stood up and picked it up off the table. "Your standard fighting staff, useful for blocking and blows." She handed it to Buffy. "Twirl it." She encouraged and the Slayer did so making the blades swing out into a shield. "When weapons evolved what was the easiest thing to do, add something to your staff to make it a shield. To protect you from blows." She nodded to her to change it and Buffy shifted it into the two axe blades. "And with rudimentary blades, came the two basic types of weapons axes and..." On cue Buffy passed it to Faith, who held the grips tighter and the dagger ends came out. "Knives or spears. This staff is pure formation of all of them. The three are one, staff, bladed staffs and shield." Willow summed up taking it back from Faith.

"If no one minds my input." Dawn raised her hand slightly this time and everyone looked at the teenager. "It's just that while everyone's been busy you know doing their thing on history and everything, I found out something kinda interesting." She looked a little uncomfortable as everyone looked at her.

"What Dawn?" Buffy encouraged her.

"Well I did some research, nothing big or involved or anything, but it's interesting." Dawn kept Buffy as her focus as she pulled out some paper form a book beside her. "Basically I looked at the staff's name."

"Santerminadya." Tara offered both as a reminder and as encouragement for the teenager.

"Yes, well as a whole name I couldn't come up with anything, but then I broke it down and then it gets really interesting." Dawn seemed excited by the subtle support. "If you take the first three letters." Dawn held up a small piece of paper with the letter SAN on them. "Well in Chinese, San means three." She flicked it over to reveal the word three written on it. "And then if you take the last five letters." She picked up another piece of paper, this time with NADYA written on it. "And study somewhere else you find out that in Arabic, Nadya means 'the First'." She flicked over the paper and laid it on the table a little way form the first piece. "Okay which leaves termi." She held up her third piece of paper. "This was the tricky one because it doesn't mean anything really, that I could find, but then I remembered something." Dawn looked around. "The word Terminus, Termina in Latin means the end or finishing of, so I thought what if the creators of the name meant that, then I looked again at the name SANTERMINADYA, and there actually is the word TERMINA. So basically, the name means, The three finish the first." Dawn concluded with a flourish.

"It's all about the three." Faith nodded.

"Too bad we only got two slayer's then eh?" Kennedy interjected. "If we had three we'd be home and dry, kicking ass girl style."

"Like Charlie's angels." Anya nodded. "You would be Giles' angels."

"Three slayers would be great but there's still only one staff." Owl pointed out trying not to break the mood to drastically.

"Yes I don't think someone or something would create a weapon that had to be thrown from person to person to make it work." Xander pointed out the obvious flaw "Hey you Mr. big evil, just hold still while I throw this to my buddy over there."

"This three thing has to be the key though." Willow encouraged.

"We have more to go on." Giles looked up positively. "Perhaps looking more into the root sources of the words forming its name will reveal something more." He smiled at Dawn and her efforts.

"And reading and rereading this translation can only bring greater understanding." Sandra nodded at Owl.

"We could search for derivatives and recheck the book that Zoë brought." Willow added optimistically.

Faith watched the group as the anticipation and confidence level grew but all the while the dark Slayer had been quiet her eyes tracing over the words from the book that Owl had translated. Now she knew full well that she wasn't the brain of the outfit by any means but her eyes wouldn't be drawn away from the phrase…

'That which was, that which came and that which shall come will stand.'

As the general hubbub of the room got louder, with people engaging in excited discussion Faith's dark eyes focused harder on the words.

"Kennedy's right." She said suddenly her voice low her eyes flicking up to look at Buffy.

"What?" Buffy stopped listening to Giles' theory and looked at Faith.

"Kennedy's right. This thing." She looked at the copied paper on the table near her. "It's talking about slayers.

"I don't understand what you mean?" Buffy knew she wasn't talking the obvious bit that only a slayer could use the staff.

"'That which was', that's you B you are and always have been the slayer. 'That which came', well that's me, you know I came after all the dying and stuff and Kendra and 'That which shall come', that's the next slayer, which ever one of those lucky bastards gets to be the next one of us." Faith pointed it all out.

"We need three slayers to use it, but there's only one staff." Buffy looked down at the text instantly knowing that Faith's words made sense though she didn't want them too.

"You're skipping the important bit there B." Faith looked at her. "There are only two slayers, if we need a third, I'm gonna have to die."

"And come back." Buffy looked into her dark eyes.

"Hey piece of cake, after all you did it." Faith's confidence and strong words were belied by the worry in her eye.

"Giles." Buffy called sternly for everyone to settle down. "Faith figured something out." She pointed to the text. "This is three slayers." She said with a hiss.

"Well yes I suppose it could be." Giles paid her attention. "But it could mean three of many things."

"The one... me... the one that came... Faith… and the one that is to come... the next slayer, when Faith dies." Buffy pointed at each piece in turn. "The staff only responds to us Giles, and it responds to Faith and I differently."

"But we only have two slayers, we'll have to make do with what we have." Giles frowned at the blonde Slayer.

"You're missing the big picture here Giles, no one thought there could be two of us till I died right?" Buffy pressed him to think more and not judge. "If Faith was to die, just for a few seconds but come back another would be called."

"Well in theory yes." Giles frowned against this time at Faith.

"When we saw the Eye it said the First was here because Buffy died." Anya pointed out helpfully. "Well that she died and came back. Making the whole three slayer thing possible."

"Not wanting to sound like a party pooping eavesdropper." Xander leaned over "But what's to stop something big and bad popping up again if we kill faith and bring her back?"

"Xander how cool is a second?" Anya laughed at him. "Hi I'm the second greatest eternal evil." She mocked.

"I'm just saying." Xander defended.

"We're all forgetting that we are actually talking about ending Faith's life." Giles scowled. "In times like these we can hard sacrifice our slayers on a whim."

"Hey, hey we're not talking about sacrificing me, I didn't say anything about agreeing to die." Faith shook her head standing up. "I mean I did the whole coma thing and Maple Leaf might know some first aid but she can't do a ER on me." She paced away.

"There's another way." Tara's small voice whispered.

"Great, Tara has a way to make another slayer." Faith looked at her hopeful, after all, the blonde witch was the last person who would suggest she off herself on purpose.

"You could kill yourself." Tara looked up into dark eyes.

"Hello, has everyone been smoking crack while I was next door? As Giles said how is offing a slayer going to help us beat the first?" Faith looked around in disbelief.

"No it's not like that, that came out wrong." Tara shook her head apologetically. "There's a meditation." She went on. "Used long ago by ancient monks. They used it during times of duress, or torture." She continued looking at Faith.

"You want me to meditate to death?" The dark Slayer wondered why no one else was saying anything.

"I could bring you back." Tara replied with absolute clarity and certainty.

"Red would you reel your girlie in please." She coughed and looked at the second witch.

"She can bring you back Faith." Zoë gave her vote of confidence from the corner.

"If she says she can Faith then she can." Willow nodded reaching to hold Tara's hand.

"Faith I'm not stupid I know what we're facing here, and I can do this. I know that to have any hope at all of beating the First, you need to be alive. I can do this." Tara confirmed.

"Does everyone think this is a good idea?" Faith looked around at everyone.

"No, I'm sorry." Giles spoke up. "Though I do not doubt your ability nor your belief in this Tara, I cannot condone a course of action that may leave us with only one slayer." His voice wasn't angry or stern, just watchery.

"I disagree." It was Sandra that looked at him. "The First from the beginning has been targeting the potentials so there is no opportunity to continue the prophecy line. That does suggest it purposeful tactic of keeping both Buffy and Faith alive to die last is because it does not want the three slayers to be assembled. If that were not the case, tactically killing Buffy and Faith first and then weeding through the newly called slayers would be more effective. A newly called slayer is much more vulnerable than two career ones."

"Great one yes, one no." Faith looked at Buffy. "B?"

"Would it work if I died again?" Buffy looked at Giles and Sandra.

"You've died since then Buffy and no more slayers were called." Anya pointed out bluntly. "What it's true!" She responded to the glares.

"If I could do it I would." She looked at Faith. "But I can't blame you if you don't want to risk it."

"Oh fuck me." Faith paced a bit into the hallway. "Fine, don't let it be said I was a sissy." She paced back and thumped on her chest angrily. "Come on Tara, kill me."

"You'll be right back, and not have missed a thing." Tara promised.

"Fine, let's just get this over with." She paced a bit, obviously nervous.

"Not now." Tara shook her head. "You're too tired and too tense."

"What I have to wait to die?" Faith looked at her in disbelief.

"You have to learn the chant." Tara explained softly. "I have to teach you the technique. If you think you could take it all in, we can do it now."

"How about the morning? A Sunday's a good day to die right?" She joked morbidly.

"You're not dying." Buffy underlined. "We're just calling the next slayer."

"Which would suggest to me that all potentials should be in bed ASAP." Sandra closed the book in front of her.

"One of us is going to be a slayer tomorrow." Kennedy grinned.

"Yeah God help them." Buffy whispered as the crowd began filing out.

-x-

Willow moved around to where Tara was sat cross-legged on the floor and sat down in front of her. She studied the blonde as she meditated, not wanting to break her lover's concentration but she had a thousand questions spinning around in her mind. The fact that what they were planning on doing in the morning was unthinkable to her. How could they purposely make a third slayer?

At the same time Tara slowly opened one eye and looked at Willow.

"What's wrong sweetie." She asked softly.

"I didn't mean to disturb you." The redhead frowned.

"Joined at the soul sweetie, when you're not settled I'm not settled." Tara shook her head and eased out of her position.

"Oh. Then I'm sorry I really didn't mean to unsettle you." Willow bit her lip. "I just, wanted to know about this spell."

"It's not a spell." Tara shook her head.

"What is it?" Willow chewed on the flesh caught between her teeth.

"It's a meditation." Tara tipped her head a little.

"How does it work?" The redhead questioned instantly.

"It's just a meditation." Tara frowned slightly.

"But how do you meditate to death?" She chewed more on her lip.

"It's not quite like that, it's more about lowering your body's biorhythms." Tara shifted to lean against the wall.

"More like going into hypothermia? So you technically are dead but aren't?" Willow tried to put her normal science spin on things.

"That's more like it." Tara nodded.

"When did you learn about this?" she kept up her questions.

"It's something I learned in Italy." Tara replied.

"Will it hurt you?" Her voice was a whisper. Tara swallowed and slowly raised her blue eyes. "Tara, you're not doing it if it will hurt you." Willow squeaked.

"Willow this is about what we need to win this." Tara pushed up from her place on the floor crossing to the dresser.

"I'm not liking how this sounds." Willow pushed up and looked at her.

"Willow it'll be okay." Tara picked up a brush and began to brush out her long hair.

"What is it going to do to you?" Willow moved closer to her. "What could it do to you?"

"In theory?" Tara looked up into the mirror on the dresser watching Willow's movements.

"In anything." Willow pushed.

"In theory, you could loose us both." Tara put the hairbrush down.

"Then you're not doing it." Willow shook her head putting her hand over Tara's. "Neither of you are."

"That won't happen Willow." Tara shook her head back.

"So both of you die or it works?" Willow's voice squeaked slightly.

"Yes." Tara didn't try to deny it.

"There's no other injuries possible?" Willow squeezed her hand.

"Well I have a that tendency to bleed a little when I concentrate hard, but we both know how to handle nosebleeds." Tara squeezed it back.

"Can I do it with her?" Willow tried to find a solution.

"No Willow." Tara shook her head she pushed up from the chair and hugged her lover to her.

"I can't risk you baby." Willow shook her head hugging her.

"It's what we need to do." Tara pressed her lips to her lover's forehead.

"So let me do it." Willow didn't let her move away.

"No." Tara shook her head.

"Why not?" Willow questioned.

"Because... there's not the time to teach you the techniques." Tara replied simply.

"I don't like this." She shook her head. "Faith is volatile, it's too dangerous."

"That's why it has to be me." Tara replied softly.

"Why because Faith is volatile?" Willow paced the room a bit.

"Yes, she needs a balance." Tara nodded.

"Oh." Willow frowned the point that her magic was too unbalanced to be of any good made her slink away. "I understand." She moved over to the bed pulling her pyjamas out from under her pillow.

"No baby, no you don't." Tara turned and crossed the room to her. "Oh Willow." She reached out and took the pyjamas from her lover's hand. "This isn't about what you can't do." She shook her head. "It's not about me being a better witch, or you being a worse one."

"It is Tara, it's okay. It's the truth, I know it is." Willow shook her head back.

"It's not." Tara reached up stilling Willow's head.

"You're a good witch, you know how to balance yourself, you don't lose control... you're not an addict." Willow pulled her head away.

"Neither are you." Tara pressed her palm against Willow's cheek guiding her head back around.

"I am." Willow's blinked a few times. "You know I am."

"No, I know you are not." Tara shook her head.

"I am, I hurt you, I used magic on you." She felt her eyes stinging.

"Maybe, but that was in the past. You are Willow Rosenberg and you are a good and powerful witch, you are the woman I love, the only woman I will ever love, and who I will love for eternity." Tara breathed out the heartfelt words.

"I love you too but..." Willow tried to object again.

"Willow no." Tara cut her off. "There is no but Willow."

"I love you." Willow whispered again moving to hug her.

"I love you too my darling." Tara closed her eyes as she held her lover close.

"You better not let Faith kill you." Willow hugged her tighter trying to joke but the humour was lost.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous." Tara's voice dropped.

"You're a very powerful witch Tara, if anyone can do this you can." Willow assured her softly.

"This has far more to do with control, centring and having something to live for."

Tara replied honestly.

"Don't leave me again." Willow leaned in and kissed her almost desperately.

"I won't." Tara kissed her back with the same intensity.

"I want to make love to you." Willow whispered threading her hands into blonde hair.

"Please." Tara nodded softly. Willow pressed their lips back together, closing her eyes as she memorised the taste of her lover's mouth. "All night." Tara arched up a little pressing tightly against Willow's body.

"I thought you needed to be rested." Willow smirked leading her over to the bed.

"There are different definitions of rested." Tara smirked slightly.

"And what definition do you want to go for?" Willow leaned down pulling her down over her.

"I want to go for rested after long passionate love making with my one and only."

Tara braced herself over her lover's legs, straddled beside Willow's hips.

"Perfect." Willow wound her hands up pressing up under Tara's shirt on to her back.

-x-

"You silly man, it's not preposterous." Sandra looked across the short few feet in the kitchen and shook her head.

"I beg to differ Ms. Webster but it is." Giles replied curtly.

"You would be the type of man to argue that the sky is not blue but more of a indigo wouldn't you?" She rolled her eyes.

"That would completely depend on what the situation." Giles put down his cup and turned to the other watcher.

"I bet you still insist on reading the original tome and not any other version." She put her cup down.

"Something is always lost in the translation." Giles met the argument with soft confidence.

Sandra studied him for a minute before she reached up very gently pulling his glasses off and tossing them on the counter.

"I really didn't ask you if you wanted tea to debate semantics." She smiled at him.

"Really Ms Webster I…" Giles watched as the glasses skidded across the counter top.

"Sandra." She corrected him leaning up and pressing her lips to his. "We might be killing one of our slayer's tomorrow Mr. Giles. I think we could afford to act rashly for one night."

"It's... its Rupert." The watcher took a breath, wrapping his arm around the other watcher's waist drawing her close to kiss her again.

-x-

Buffy ran the brush through her hair roughly as she stared at Owl who was stretching near the end of the bed.

"I can't believe we're doing this." She admitted.

"Getting ready for bed in a quiet house?" Owl as she stopped mid stretch, examining the bruising on her side.

"Killing Faith, activating a new slayer." Buffy gave her a grunt of vague disapproval.

"You don't think it's the right thing to do, have three slayers around I mean." Owl straightened up slowly.

"I do, that's why I can't believe we're doing this." Buffy shook her head. "This might be a meditation and I trust Tara but Faith still has to die."

"You've done it." Owl levelled with her.

"Yes, three times. It's not fine Piper." Buffy tried to explain. "And none of those times did I do it expecting to come back."

"Which surely makes this better, you know like you said you trust Tara, I mean she doesn't seem the type to you know, risk shit." Owl reasoned.

"She's not, she wouldn't say she could do it if she didn't believe she would." Buffy agreed.

"Believe?" Owl frowned. "Shouldn't that word be know." She arched her eyebrow.

"For Tara it's believe. Knowing it can happen in magic Piper isn't possible." Buffy shook her head. "Magic is about believing you can more than it being a fact."

"So this is magic, like a spell? Not just some control technique thing." Owl clarified.

"She said an ancient meditation." Buffy shrugged. "Probably a bit of the mystical and some control technique."

"You're worried aren't you." Owl dropped her arms to her side.

"Aren't you?" Buffy blinked at her. "This time tomorrow you could be the new slayer." She whispered the true fact.

Owl looked at Buffy for a moment, and then tipped her head back laughing loudly.

"Oh Buffy." She laughed over and over. "Buffy, Buffy, Buffy." She shook her head. "That's so not going to happen baby." She walked over to the blonde.

"You don't' know that." Buffy shook her head back.

"Buffy, this time tomorrow all that will be different is that we'll be one step closer to kicking that bastard things ass." Owl reached her hands up and rubbed the Slayer's shoulders.

"But what if you're the slayer?" Buffy asked her again and Piper's hand stopped the tall potential took a breath.

"Then I'll apologise for laughing at you, let you set me some kind of make up task and train like hell to be just a shade as good as you." She let her hands move again over tense shoulders.

"Would you be upset it if was you or wasn't you?" Buffy relaxed into her hands closing her eyes.

"No, to both questions." Owl replied. "Buffy, I'm here to be in this fight, slayer or not." She said assuredly.

"I know but it changes everything." She whispered unsure.

"How?" Owl asked, her voice softer.

"If you're the slayer, you might want..." Buffy felt herself consumed by doubt for a minute. "You might want someone else." She whispered the fact that was scaring her.

"What?" Owl breathed out. "No." The tall woman shook her head. "Buffy, I am not with you because you're the Slayer and I'm a slayer wanna be. I don't share your bed because of some kind of hero worship or you know, you're what I aim to be." She shook her head more. "I'm with you because I love you, because you're a beautiful, sexy woman, and if, by some weird fluke tomorrow I'm a slayer too." She looked into Buffy's hazel eyes. "The only difference will be, I'll have the stamina to keep you screaming all night." She smirked.

"That would be nice, rather than you rolling over and falling asleep." Buffy teased smiling widely.

"Hey, cheeky." Owl laughed slipping her hands low and tickling Buffy's ribs.

"Hey, hey." Buffy giggled. "No showing off the Slayer's secret soft spot."

"Oh I will if I need to." Owl laughed lovingly.

"Are you tired?" Buffy ran her hands up Owl's arms under the short sleeves of her T-shirt.

"Was that you way of saying Piper can we make love?"

"More like just in case you do get activated tomorrow, can I wear you out one last time." Buffy gave her a wink.

"Ahhh so you've worked out that if I do, I'll be younger and stronger than you, and it's you'll who'll be rolling over snoring!" Owl winked back pulling Buffy close and kissing her.

"You wish newbie." Buffy pulled her closer and kissed her back hard.

-x-

Creeping silently through the dark house, with just the sound of sneakers sneaking lightly on polished wood floors, the figure hardly made a sound as it walked to the basement door. Turning the handle with just as little noise, they pushed the door open and inched their way down the twelve stairs into the converted basement.

"Whatcha doing Dawn?" Faith turned plucking one bud out of her ear and letting the slight hiss of loud music from the CD player fill up the background with noise.

"How... how did you know it was me?" The teenager walked to the bottom of the stairs and slowly over to the bottom of the bed, her hands holding closed the edges of her long dark raincoat.

"Only you and Willow wear the squeaky sneakers and I figure that Red is tucked up with her honey." Faith sat up.

"She is." Dawn shrugged a little and stopped at the foot of the bed.

"You all right?" She noticed the nervous way Dawn was looking around. "I know the other night was scary but we got it sorted."

"I'm okay." Dawn shrugged again. "I came to see you." Dark eyes flicked up and down over Faith's body.

"Cool." Faith turned off her CD player. "You wanna watch a movie, I so cannot even think about sleep but all the other baby slayers are tucked up like sugar plums."

"Well they all have that I might be a slayer tomorrow dream going on I bet." Dawn shrugged again her hands moving to play with the wide belt tied round the waist of the long coat.

"Come on didn't I kick your ass enough at Playstation already?" Faith teased pulling on the first leg of her jogging pants to cover up her boxer shorts.

"I didn't come to play Playstation." Dawn shook her head again and then shrugged the heavy coat off one of her shoulders revealing creamy bare flesh.

"Then what did you want too..." Faith looked up in time to see the coat sliding away and in shock she ungracefully tried to stand tangling her foot in the leg of her pants and pitched forwards landing with a thump on her side. "Dawn?" She instantly threw her arm out connecting with the canvass shoe and confirmed it wasn't the First. "Dawn?" Her eyes went wider.

Shrugging her other arm out of the coat the garment fell uselessly to the floor, leaving the teenager stood naked in front of the Slayer, all apart from her sneakers.

"Faith." She whispered back.

"Dawn where are your clothes?" Faith glanced at her and then looked away as she pushed up and pulled up her pants.

"Back at my house." Dawn said putting an arm around her waist, using her hand to cover between her legs, while trying to remain in a casual pose. "Why… why aren't you looking at me?" The teenager's voice wobbled slightly.

"Because... Because..." Faith's voice was shaky and uncertain as she moved to the dresser and quickly pulled out a large oversized button down. "Because Dawn... you're Dawn." She moved back over her eyes mostly closed but not looking anywhere but the teenager's face.

"Oh God, you hate me don't you." Dawn moved her other hand around her chest.

"Please..." She swung it around the younger girl's shoulders and began buttoning it up, fumbling with Dawn's hands to get them out of the way. "I don't Dawn. I really, really don't hate you." She shook her head trying to guide Dawn's arms through the sleeves. "Just, this is not what you want Dawnie." She shook her head her voice soft. She reached pack pulling another pair of joggers out and basically guided Dawn into them.

"You think I'm ugly and just a stupid little girl." Dawn let her herself be dressed and then instantly pulled away retreating to the stairwell her doe like eyes filling with tears.

"No, Dawn no." Faith shook her head following her. "I think you're a beautiful woman, hello I have never had anyone ever do that to me before. But you're Dawn." She tried to explain.

"I'm eighteen in two months, if any of us live two months." Dawn frowned.

"Yes, and Dawn you're going to live." Faith reached up and took her hand. "And you're going to totally knock the socks off some girl or boy who totally loves you and if I'm lucky I'll get to get all the details and gossip with you."

"But I love you." Dawn said bluntly.

"I love you too Dawn, but not in a hot sweaty cigarette after kinda way." Faith shook her head.

"Because I'm ugly." Dawn's head dropped as she backed up the bottom step.

"Please Dawn you are so not ugly, I don't fall out of bed for ugly women." Faith tipped her head slightly.

"Then why don't you want me?" Dawn frowned.

"Because... you're like my little Sister D." Faith tried to explain. "And I can't do this and risk hurting you. I can't." She backed away. "I've used a lot of people Dawn, a lot. I won't use you."

"But, I want you." Dawn stepped after her pressing herself tightly to Faith's body and holding her tight.

"Dawn... no." Faith griped her lightly and pushed her away.

"But..." Dawn wrapped her arms around the dark Slayer. "You might die."

"Dawn, no." Faith pushed her away and stepped back. "That doesn't matter, that doesn't matter at all, it sure as hell doesn't matter enough to hurt you."

"I hate you!" Dawn scrunched up her face and ran towards the stairs.

"Dawn, Dawn!" Faith screamed after her. "Dawn for fucksake I am doing my best here." She raced after her. "You don't want this." She grabbed Dawn and pressed her against the wall. "You think you do, you think this is all end of the world but it's not. I won't use you." She growled and then shoved back away.

"I just..." Dawn blinked tear filled eyes. "I didn't want you to be alone tonight." She took a breath. "I wanted to be with you. So you know you're not alone."

"Then Dawn watch a movie with me, play a video game, we can talk about cute girls or boys or the Smurfs or fuck anything but fucking." Faith sat down on the bed and lit a smoke her hands shaking. "Fucking's not all I am okay? That's not what makes me happy, shit even you think I'm a slut." She took a drag trying to calm the scary shake in her hands.

"No, no I don't." Dawn shook her head.

"Dawnie you thought the only way you could help me through this night was by having sex with me." Faith looked up at her. "You thought that was the only thing you could offer, oh fuck Dawn." She looked down seeing her hand shake more. "Don't you dare do that to you, ever, ever again. You are never just some fuck, some one night okay? You promise me that." She urged her voice hard.

"I promise." Dawn quickly agreed. "I'm sorry." She crossed back over and took Faith's shaking hand. "I promise." She said again.

"Never Dawn, okay? Do it because you love them or want them or can't live without them but do it 'cause you want to, not 'cause you think it's the only thing you have to give." Faith looked up into the teenager's dark eyes.

"I didn't..." Dawn frowned a little. "I didn't know what else to do." She admitted. "I wanted to hold you, be held by you, be with you."

"You're scared Dawn, hell so am I." Faith took a slow calming breath. "It's okay to be scared, but this…" She glanced between then. "You and I doing the nasty," She shook her head. "That's not okay." She underlined.

"I don't know what I want." Dawn felt her bottom lip tremble.

"Of course you don't Dawn. For fucksake you're seventeen and in the middle of shit you shouldn't even read about let alone live through." Faith outlined. "Now here's a deal, you keep your clothes on, I keep my clothes on, we stick a video in the VCR and curl up on the bed. Do we have a deal?" She looked at her managing to smile.

"Deal." Dawn said with a soft nod.

-x-

"Oh yes Willow, yessss." Tara arched high off the bed, her breast bouncing lightly from the pleasured motion of her climaxing body, panting hard as her orgasm rocked through her. With her hands stroking up and down her lover's thighs, Willow didn't release the pressure or the motion of her tongue and lips for a second, wanting Tara to feel every millimetre of the everlasting love and passion the two of them shared.

-x-

"Fuck me Buffy, God yes." Owl growled through gritted teeth as the two of them rocked the bed over and over into the wall. The blonde Slayer lay on top of the taller potential, Owl's long legs wrapped around her waist, her arms up around Buffy's back. One of the Slayer's hands was wrapped around a metal pole in the slatted headboard, the other between her and Piper's body. Both were completely naked and covered with a slick layer of glistening sweat as their motion continued and the tall potential's cries became little more than incoherent moans as she tumbled towards ecstasy.

-x-

"Sandra, really I never expected…I'm not sure I believe... that is… good heavens you are amazing." Giles kept his hand lightly on his lover's back as the other Watcher rolled carefully off him to lie close in beside him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"You talk to much Rupert." Sandra chuckled lightly, resting her hand on Giles' still irregularly rising and falling chest, she let her eyes drift close, and sleep claim her.

-x-

A screen of white snow flickered constantly but silently, providing the only light in the dim basement added a soft backdrop to the two fully clothed figures on the bed. Dawn's head resting on her own bent arm, tucked up close to Faith, who lay stretched out behind her, her arm reaching out behind the teenager's head, obviously having been running through the long brown hair that laid sprawled out over the pillows. Both looked peaceful, almost childlike in the softly stillness of the early morning.

-x-


	18. Chapter 18

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Eighteen.**

Buffy sat on her perch on the couch looking down to where Tara and Faith were lying on the floor of the living room. They'd had to rearrange the furniture in order to make enough room for them both. The two tall women were stretched out to their full height so that only the crowns of their heads were touching one another, Tara's feet pointing out towards the front door while Faith pointed towards the far corner of the room. Above them a glass hurricane lantern had been suspended from the ceiling, a bright flame from the candle inside echoing around in the glass.

She glanced across at the clock on the mantle noting that sometime in her recent watch they had slid by three hours since the two had begun the meditation.

The hours had been marked by slight changes but none of them seemed to indicate whether the meditation was going to work. At first Tara had been still while Faith had moved occasionally obviously getting uncomfortable in the prone position, but slowly as they crept towards the first hour mark even Faith had become a statue.

The minutes of the second hour slowly dimmed their breathing. The once visible rise and fall of their chests disappearing and even the slight skim of their eyes behind shut eyelids had stopped.

Now into hour three the pair had taken on a pallor colour and the Slayer swore she could see a crack in Faith's lower lip where the soft skin had dried.

Buffy looked around at the chosen core members of the Scoobies that were present and of course Owl who was sitting next to her on the couch looking pensive.

"Well the instructions Tara left for us indicated that after three hours we should take Faith's pulse." From his place leaning on the wall near the stairs Giles glanced at Buffy.

"It's past three hours Giles." Willow chewed painfully on her lip, she sat in a place nearby Tara's leg but not touching the blonde.

"You should check if that's what she said." Buffy nodded.

"Well I suppose I should..." Giles moved a little reluctantly forward. "You could always..." He glanced at Buffy.

"Oh you're such a wimp." Buffy pushed up and moved over to Faith. As she rather slowly bent down she could feel all the eyes in the room on her. Trying to ignore them she lowered her hand down and pressed her fingers into Faith's throat. It took a couple of attempts before she felt the echo of a very soft heartbeat, she kept her fingers in place and waited counting off silently in her head to almost twenty before it sounded again.

"Her hearts beating really slow." She looked up at Giles as she moved her hand around hovering her palm over Faith's nose and mouth without touching it. "Still breathing." She held it there feeling a tiny exhale followed by another one after a long delay.

"Tara said she couldn't be exact as Faith's metabolism would be different, being a slayer." Giles said watching her every move.

The Watcher's words had barely dimmed from the air when Faith's arms went taunt at her sides as her body was stuck by a series of hard seizures that rocked every muscle in her body moving down from her throat and shoulders, through her torso and then into her legs and feet. For some reason despite the violent movements her facial expression didn't change and her head didn't break the physical connection she had with Tara, it was if the movement was routed there.

The change made Buffy jump back staring wildly at the contorting figure on the ground. She had to fight all her initial instinct to try and help.

"Did Tara mention this?" Buffy flashed her eyes to Giles then back to Faith as the Slayer's body arched up hard so that only her heels and shoulders were on the floor.

"Tara's bleeding." Willow squeaked suddenly pointing at the blonde's pale face where a line of red had trickled out of her nose, the lead of it rolling down her cheek into the collar of her shirt.

Giles looked down at the two small sheets of paper in his hand, looking over them almost desperately for any sign that this was normal and expected.

"What do we do? She said it would be like going to sleep this isn't sleep." Buffy felt the high tension in her voice punctuated as with a rattling breath Faith's body lowered back to the ground as a line of blood broke out of Tara's other nostril.

"What the fuck?" Owl's surprised voice barked out of her throat as she pushed up off the couch, her arms flashing out in front of her.

"What?" Buffy looked up at her lover. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Piper flexed the fingers of her right hand out hard, before clenching them into a tight fist. She repeated the procedure with her left hand as if it didn't belong to her.

"Giles?" Buffy looked at the Watcher. "Sandra?"

"I think we know who the next slayer is." Sandra looked over to Owl.

"What? Oh no now wait a minute." Piper backed up a little her legs making the couch push back towards the window.

"Piper?" Buffy looked at her in disbelief.

"I got a muscle cramp, I didn't just get activated." Owl looked back at her, shaking out her arms.

"Anya, check the other girls." Buffy looked back at the former demon that was in the archway to the kitchen, Anya nodded and slipped out.

"Right then Willow, over to you, bring them back." Giles nodded at the redhead seeming to silently agree with Sandra that the new Slayer had indeed been activated and the procedure could end.

"I'm glad this is over." Willow pushed up and leaned over them to pull the hood off the lamp. With a soft breath blew out the candle. "Faith." She bent down moving to fold the Slayer's arms into her body and pulling the nearby blanket over her. "Faith, wake up." She reached up rubbing her fingers in a circle over the base of her throat to stimulate the blood flow.

"Willow?" Buffy looked at her for updates as she paced one side of the room.

"Tara said it might take a moment, she's breathing better." Willow reached both hands up massaging at the base of her skull with the other. "Faith, come on... time to wake up." She encouraged her softly as she saw the Slayer's eyes start to skim behind her eyelids again.

"Wow now that was a wild trip." Faith's quiet voice breathed out.

"Glad to have you back." Willow smiled at her and then moved the dark Slayer sideways slightly to break the connection between them. She then crawled the short distance to her lover's side. "Tara, she's awake... come back now." She pulled a second blanket up over Tara pulling her arms in gently as well and reaching up she rubbed her thumb over Tara's lower lip.

"Willow?" Tara's voice was a broken whisper. She coughed a little as the blood from her nose slipped into her mouth.

"It's all fine, you did perfect." The redhead reached up wiping the blood away.

"Buffy..." Anya came back into the room. She waited until the Slayer caught her eye and then shook her head firmly before letting her gaze move over to Owl.

"Buffy we need to get Tara and Faith in to their beds." Giles folded up the notes in his hand. "Dawn the chicken soup can go on now." He added glancing at the teenager who nodded and slipped out to the kitchen.

"Piper, carry Tara up and I'll bring Faith over to her room." Buffy moved to the dark Slayer purposely being slow as she got her in a better carrying position.

"Ready?" With a brief nod Owl hurried to Tara's side.

"I have everything ready upstairs." Willow encouraged her as she tucked the blanket around Tara's body.

"Go on, I'm right behind you." Buffy nodded as she pushed towards the door. She didn't like the limp way Faith just laid there, letting herself be cradled and moved. Though it wasn't that she could blame the dark Slayer, after all she really had just died.

"Perfect, I got you Tara. Just hold on as tight as you can." Owl slipped one arm under Tara's body, the other supporting her head and back as she pushed up from the floor with almost no effort. The blonde flopped against her body heavily but was held in a safe cradle.

"We'll meet back here when they're settled." Buffy instructed everyone to stay as moved towards the door, knowing the dark Slayer was suffering when she didn't get any cheeky comments at all.

"Be careful with her." Dawn rushed down the hall to get the front door as her sister moved towards it. "Make sure you take her boots off."

"Hey, make sure Dawn brings my soup, don't just take me down to my basement and forget me." Faith joked lightly as the front door was opened but it wasn't until she was carried through that she was able to look over Buffy's shoulder and see that it was Dawn who had opened it.

"I won't forget your soup." Dawn assured her with a soft smile.

-x-

Buffy had settled Faith in for a long nap, and with Dawn and Zoë watching over her she had felt secure enough leaving the recently dead girl as she went back to the main house to find everyone but Willow and Tara in the living room.

"She's settled, how is Tara?" She questioned first seeing the silent way everyone waited for her to begin.

"Willow seems happy, the bleeding has stopped and she managed a spoonful or two of soup." Owl replied from her place perched on the arm of the couch. She looked obviously uneasy, one leg bounced on its toe creating a rhythmic tapping against the hardwood floor.

"Good then we can get down to business." Buffy walked over to the table and picked the staff up off the table. She held it for a moment before she stood squarely in front of her lover and threw it across to her. "Show me." She whispered.

Owl took a breath look between the staff in her hand and the Slayer who had thrown it to her. Up until now she had still been trying to deny what was going on and chalk up the sudden feeling in her arms and legs as a muscle cramp. But now that she had her fingers around the crafted weapon she couldn't deny what everyone already believed.

Taking a battle ready stance, Piper took an even spaced grip on the staff and gave it a short spin, before pushing it horizontally forward ready to block. As she did so, the ends of the staff extended doubling the staff's length to the point that an ornament on the mantle piece was knocked to the floor.

"That wasn't a cramp Piper." Buffy shook her head softly.

Turning the staff vertical Owl stood the staff next to her tapping the end lightly on the floor, only to have it snap back in its retracted state

"I'm a Slayer?" She whispered looking nowhere other than into Buffy's eyes.

"Concentrate Piper, you'll feel the difference, see it..." Buffy nodded slowly not breaking the look either. "Hear it, smell it."

The tall woman closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose, slowly on a silent count to five. Whatever she had been trying to deny before was overwhelmed as in a sudden rush she felt all of her senses attuning to so much at once that it was almost overwhelming.

"I think we need to talk to Owl." Giles broke the moment.

"What's there to say Giles?" Buffy looked at him not harshly but honestly. "She's the third slayer."

"There's things she needs to know." Sandra supported Giles. "Maybe you should take the potentials out and do some workouts."

"Piper?" Buffy didn't acknowledge their request until she got her lover's agreement.

"I think I want..." Owl took a breath her lip trembling a little before her control facade slammed into place. "If they need to talk to me, they need to talk to me."

Buffy stepped over to her reaching up and pressing her fingers to the new Slayer's temples. She held the pressure there for a second until she saw the hard mask slipping a little.

"You can do this." Buffy assured her in a soft whisper that she knew no one else could hear.

"Tell me nothings changed." Owl whispered before moving away, looking deep into hazel eyes.

"Only that you're not going to be worn out anymore." Buffy winked at her.

Smiling more, Owl tipped her head more up right almost proudly as the blonde's words solidified the strength inside her.

"Okay, let the pep talk begin." She walked over towards Giles and Sandra who moved with her into the dining room.

The eyes of all the remaining SIT's turned to Buffy waiting for their next instruction.

"Let's go do some crossbow work, I know I need to burn off some energy." She smiled at them all motioning to the back door.

-x-

Faith rolled her head to the other side of the pillow feeling most of the residual from the meditation had faded from her body while she had been asleep. She wasn't convinced instantly it was a good transition, as now she was left with the burning muscle cramps and the ache in her head and lungs. Tara had warned her though there would be physical backlash; after all they were fighting against the very make up of her survive at all costs Slayer body. When adding to that Faith's own raging spirit, that they had managed to get both of those factors to give into death for even a split second had been a steep accomplishment.

"Dawn?" She looked at the slim figure of the teenager in he chair nearby whose head was lulled to the side. It was obvious from her position that she'd been like it for a while; meaning Faith had been asleep for a long few hours.

"Faith." Dawn sat more upright blinking the tired feeling from her eyes.

"Hey D, you shouldn't sleep like that." Faith pushed up rubbing at her head. "So did it work?" She asked quietly as she glanced over to see Zoë was asleep on the couch across the room.

"Giles said you wouldn't be awake and alert yet, you shouldn't sit up." Dawn hurried over to the edge of the bed.

"I'm bad at taking orders." Faith gave her a lopsided grin. "So come on tell me, who was called?"

"You have to drink." Dawn picked up the sugared water Giles had prepared for the Slayer when she woke up.

"Dawn, who was called?" Faith looked at her seriously. "Please don't tell me it didn't work."

"It worked." Dawn eased down to knell on the floor still holding the glass out to her.

"So who?" Faith took the drink and sipped it. She had to admit that though it was sickly sweet, it was cold and it soothed her throat.

"Owl." Dawn looked up into dark eyes.

"Birdy?" Faith smiled. "Cool, Xander owes me twenty bucks."

"You made a bet?" Dawn squeaked surprised.

"Xander was shooting his mouth off about how it would be one of the really weedy girls but I knew it would be Owl." Faith nodded that she had indeed placed the wager. "So I bet him."

"What do you mean you knew?" Dawn questioned trying to understand how Faith could have been so sure.

"I don't know. Just... hey would your sister date a girl who wasn't something special?' Faith shrugged sipping more of the sweet mixture.

"I wish she wasn't." Dawn admitted as her shoulders sagged.

"Wish she wasn't what, dating a girl? I thought you were cool with that D." Faith frowned, she hadn't really expected Dawn to take that stance now.

"No I wish Owl wasn't a slayer." Dawn clarified sadly. "I don't mind that she's a girl at all."

"Dawn it's a good thing." Faith assured her. "I know what you're thinking another slayer means more danger but it also means someone who can take care of themselves and your sister."

"But Buffy needs someone normal." Dawn argued. "She doesn't need someone different, she doesn't need someone powerful that will make her make choices when the big bad comes to town leaving her alone. I bet this breaks them up."

"I don't know." Faith shrugged back. "This might make them happier."

"How could it possible do that?" Dawn shook her head not having any belief that it could. She had seen all of her sister's relationships fail because of duty and saving the world.

"Because being a slayer makes you different Dawn, it makes you separate from people. Having someone who really understands you, understands how you feel, I think that would be good for Buffy." Faith admitted the facts that she herself knew only too well.

"If she makes it through this." Dawn sighed sadly.

"How about I promise you to look after them both?" The dark Slayer reached out touching her arm.

"You need to look out for yourself." Dawn looked down at her arm, feeling the way weapon calloused fingertips pressed gently against her skin trying to offer comfort and security.

"I've done the dead thing now, it sucks." Faith smirked. "I'm not doing it again."

"Did it hurt?" Dawn asked her voice soft.

"You want the truth or the story I'm going to give everyone later when they ask?" The dark Slayer checked.

"The truth." Dawn underlined wanting more than anything to be here for Faith, support her as best as she could. Later on no one would push to understand how the meditation or dying had affected her but Dawn vowed she wouldn't be one of those oblivious people.

"It was, but it wasn't. It was weird." Faith tried to explain but finding the words hard. "It was like having this ache that just wouldn't go away but then it drifted into the background and there was just panic, like you were falling off a cliff but you knew you weren't ever going to hit the bottom."

"How long did it take, I mean it took three hours our time, but was it that long for you?" Dawn asked more interested in keeping Faith talking then the actual details.

"It felt like it took days." Faith finished the drink and placed it on the side table. "Made all the time I spent in prison seem short."

"Do you want more?" Dawn looked at the glass.

"Is there more?" Faith questioned missing the cold feeling in her throat and mouth.

"I could make some, its just water with sugar." The teenager replied pushing up. "I could even make Kool-Aid so that it has some actual flavour." She smiled softly.

"Mmmmm go for it." She nodded. "Remember I love that nuclear green coloured stuff."

"Faith..." Dawn picked up the glass and cradled it in both hands.

"Yeah?' She leaned back against the pillows.

"I... about last night." She frowned as she tried to find the right way to say what she wanted to say, find a way not to sound like a stupid little girl.

"That movie so sucked didn't it. Next time you don't get to pick." Faith winked at her trying to tell her it was okay.

"I'll get your drink." Dawn hurried to the stairs. "And I'll reheat your soup."

-x-

Buffy watched at the credits rolled across the screen in front of them, the block white letters on the black background continuing for a long few moments before it clicked off sending the room into a softer darkness. She hadn't really watched most of the bad comedy and she'd been glad when everyone else had made the move to bed and close their eyes on another crazy day.

"How are you?" She asked softly looking down at her lover who was stretched out on the floor, her back leaned against the couch.

"Still kinda getting to grips with it all." Owl admitted from her place on the floor.

"Did you want to train or practice? Get a feel for the new power." Buffy offered as she lay down and leaned over the edge to catch her eyes.

"Giles was going to talk to you about taking me on a solo patrol tomorrow." Owl blinked back at her. "What do you think?" She asked for her opinion on the idea.

"I think it's a good idea. You need to start figuring out and trusting what you can do, how you can react." Buffy was honest. "A few slays will help you relax."

"Relax when the world could end any day by killing a few vamps and demons?" Piper chuckled. "Now that sounds kinda like an oxymoron to me."

"Slayer downtime, like army intelligence." Buffy laughed lightly.

"Did you hear Kennedy's suggestion?" Owl stretched out her long legs and pushed up to sit on the couch with her lover.

"We are not continuing to kill slayers to make new ones." Buffy shook her head sitting up as well.

"Oh so you did hear it." The new Slayer laughed at the tone in Buffy's voice.

"I don't care how desperate she is to be activated. Faith only made it through because she's so unbelievably stubborn and because she had Tara helping her." The blonde Slayer shook her head. "Tara can't do that over and over."

"Willow wouldn't let her even if for some crazy reason she did agree." Owl reasoned honestly.

"I'm not letting you do it either." Buffy underlined the fact that was more important to her. "We've taken enough risks, and I think the staff prophecy must specify three for a reason. I'm guessing ten or eleven would throw off the whole thing."

"What happens now Buffy?" Owl looked at her lover asking the question that had been playing on her mind all night. "There's three slayers, but in reality we're no nearer to have a clue about what happens next."

"We keep researching this three is one thing." Buffy shrugged. "We keep fighting."

"There's more to the puzzle isn't there." Owl reached her arms up over her head and stretched. She couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility now that she should be having some great ideas that would blow open a path for them to take.

"I think so. There's something we're not getting, a piece to the puzzle. The staff, three Slayer's, how we use that to kill the First." Buffy watched her. "You don't move any different." She whispered with a soft smile. "Still sexy."

"Really?" Owl smiled too. "Funny 'cause I feel different." She stretched again with a little wiggle.

"How?" Buffy questioned curious. She'd been the slayer so long now she couldn't remember feeling anything else. She couldn't even remember what being normal felt like.

"I feel like I could run forever and then some, like I could face any demon in Hell and stand an even chance of kicking its ass." Piper summed up feeling the power coursing through her arms and legs.

"You can run forever and fight anything that you believe you can fight, not only fight but win." Buffy pushed up to stand. "You can break down walls, you can jump higher, move faster, react quicker than you ever imagined."

"And I can smell you." She winked at the blonde.

"As for the whole me thing is that new?" She smiled finally.

"From the kitchen when you're in the front room, oh yeah that's new." Piper laughed as she stood up.

"Are you hungry?" Buffy asked not even explaining away the double meaning.

"Starving." Piper nodded giving her a quick look up and down.

"Come on then, I'll make you something to eat." Buffy smiled and reached for her lover's hand pulling her toward the kitchen.

-x-

It is amazing how even in the midst of what could be called chaos, people manage to find the ability to rest, be that on their own, clutching a favourite stuffed toy or curled up with a loved one. However, sleep still manages to claim them, even if only a part of their consciousness is cloaked by sleeps light veil. It is also amazing how easily in many cases that veil is ripped away and for every Slayer, Watcher, Witch, Potential within the Summers' compound that veil was ripped away when the warning sirens began to blare and lights flashed in the only three houses in the whole of Sunnydale that were still occupied.

"Piper, grab a weapon check the girls, I'll head downstairs." Buffy threw back the light sheet covering her and her lover. She had her pants and a top pulled on in record time, pushing her bare feet into boots she picked up the staff and ran out of the bedroom without another word of instruction.

Slightly more disorientated than her lover, the new Slayer rummaged around a little finding a broadsword by the side of the bed to use as a weapon. She put it down again as she pulled on a pair of shorts and a strap top before she was fit to run barefoot towards Willow and Tara's bedroom.

The redheaded witch was up and ready near the door with a cross bow, where as the blonde was blinking blearily in the bed, looking rather worse for wear.

"Stay here, keep the door closed and look after Tara." Owl smiled as she gave the instruction.

"But…" Willow began to argue.

"No buts Willow, I'm a slayer too now remember. If they get past me to your door then you'll know its time to fight." Owl slipped out and closed the door, glancing down the short hall she grabbed a small decorative table and dragged it in front of the door creating one more obstacle the intruders would have to get past to reach the witches.

The sound of heavy fighting nearly distracted Piper enough to run down and join in but Buffy had been clear in her instructions. Instead she ran down and into Anya and Dawn's room to find Xander and Anya inside by the bed armed and trying to look ready to fight. Finding the two of them together came as a little surprise, but the newest slayer didn't let it bother her for a second.

"Stay here." Piper instructed smiling at their readiness. "Keep the door closed and wait till they reach you, which I'm hoping they don't do." She smiled bravely.

"I can help." Xander stepped forward.

"I know you can." Owl met his concerned look. "And you will if and when they get this far. I'll send Andrew up to you okay, let him in but that's all."

"Whatever you like, you are the slayer, well on of the three after all." Anya nodded from behind her axe.

"Thank you." Owl pulled the door closed again and ran for the stairs.

By the time Piper reached the ground floor Andrew was already nowhere in sight, one thing she was glad for was the nerd unbelievable ability to avoid danger. There were three Bringer corpses on the hallway floor, more or less directly in front of the semi broken doorway and Buffy was busy cutting through another two as she swung the staff in a large arc but there still seemed to be sea of them ready to fill the dead places.

'No, there's not a sea of them just five more, five down five to go.' Gathering her distracted sense Owl focused. 'Buffy's halved the fighting force already.'

Letting out a loud attack call Piper jumped down behind two that were trying to box the blonde Slayer in. Spinning in surprise they were further dumbfounded when both landed on their backs stunned from her sweeping blow.

"I need to check next door." She panted at Owl, trusting that the upstairs was secure. "The SIT's with Giles and Sandra aren't as protected as we are." She made a run for the door.

"I got here, when it's safe I'll join you." Piper called as she beheaded her first Bringer, the almost soft way the blade cut through his body leaving her to compensate for the extreme power that she'd put into the swipe.

"No," Buffy paused. "When you have here secure go to Faith, she died yesterday remember."

"Right, I'll go to Faith." Piper agreed seeing the logic instantly, though her heart spoke out against leaving her lover alone.

"Take care." Buffy whispered as she ran out of the door.

-x-

"Dawn, please don't argue!" Faith rubbed at her aching temple as she ran up the short flight of stairs leading from the basement to the main floor. "Just lock the door after me and block it, nothing can get down here without breaking that down." She looked at the teenager. "Please Dawn." She glanced over to where Zoë was looking both ready to fight but also nervously pensive. "Buffy will kick my ass harder than those Bringers if I get you hurt." She smiled. "And you know how I worry about your sister."

"Okay." Dawn agreed despite herself.

"Thanks." Faith gave her a wide smile and pulled open the door to the blaring noise and lights. She carefully secured it behind her and was glad to hear either Dawn or Zoë moving something in behind it. For a second the house was relatively still and then the glass in the front window shattered and singled the start of the second wave.

"Come and get some." Faith twirled her sword and raced towards the noise.

-x-

"Buffy!" Spike ran head long towards the Slayer as she slipped from her house towards the Watcher's house next door. "I managed to take down a couple but there's so many of them." He panted running with her to the broken in door of the house.

"GILES! SANDRA!" Buffy gave Spike a nod that his efforts were appreciated as she ran in. Both Watchers were in the living room brandishing weapons, struggling against the mass of Bringers that swarmed into the house.

"Buffy, most of them headed upstairs." Giles called as he dug his axe into a Bringer's body. "Go help the girls."

"Spike, help them." She called back at him jumping up the stairs. She could hear screaming from above and it made her cut down a Bringer in her path as she anxiously moved towards her goal.

-x-

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God." A small mouse brown haired SIT backed up along the upper landing, her hands trembling as they gripped and re-gripped the overly large sword in her hand.

"ALICE!" Faith glanced up over her shoulder from the middle of her attack on three Bringers. "For fucksake Alice use it don't just hold it." She ducked as one of her attackers brought its large dagger around aiming at her shoulder.

From behind the Bringer advancing on the small SIT a bedroom door opened. Two dark haired SIT's rushed out and rugby tackled the Bringer slamming it down and purely by luck forced it to land on its own dagger. Jumping up the pair slapped palms and grinned. The victory smile vanished off one of their faces when a Bringer dagger slammed into the back of her calf.

"FLICK!" Beatrix screeched dropping down and cradling the fallen SIT. "You bastard!" She screamed scrambling back up to her feet and charging at the Bringer responsible, while Alice attempted to man handle the injured potential into her room.

On the ground floor Faith had hacked her way messily through three Bringers, but her body felt sluggish and slightly unresponsive. Both those facts were underlined to her when she was jumped from behind and sent sprawling to the ground, her sword spinning out of her hand across the floor.

With a patter of light footfalls the sword was picked up by an incredibly young looking SIT that Faith, as she glanced up, recognised as Georgia. Bravely she swung at the Bringer on top of Faith, catching it lightly on the shoulder and throwing it off balance just enough to distract it from Faith allowing the Slayer to flip up, spin and kick it fully away.

"Thanks George." Faith grinned and wiped her bleeding lip.

"My pleasure." Georgia smiled and handed over Faith's sword.

The Slayer hadn't hardly gripped the weapon when the young SIT's body was literally flicked up and thrown backwards by a backhand from a Bringer. The small girl slammed into the glass cabinet beside the main window, her broken form dropping hard onto the carpet below.

"You fucking son of a bitch." Faith screamed beheading it in one easy sweep.

The body of another Bringer was suddenly thrown through the front door to crash onto the bottom steps, followed moments later by Piper, who landed on its chest, stabbing it directly through the heart.

"I figured you might need a hand." She wiped her dirty sweaty forehead and threw a smile at Faith.

"Behind you Birdy." Faith called just as one of Owl's legs was pulled out from behind, smacking her jaw on a step. Without even flinching the newest Slayer kicked back with her other leg catching her attack in the shoulder and pushing him back, buying her the time to scramble up and leap down to attack again.

-x-

Bizarrely enough, in less than thirty minutes it was all over. There were at least thirty Bringers dead, being piled in a heap on the sidewalk outside the house by Spike and Owl, who were managing to do so without even looking at each other let alone communicating.

Everyone else had regrouped in the Summers house, for a census and a general check to see how everyone had faired. There were five main casualties.

The dagger that had laced into Felicity's calf had created a deep and painful wound, and Giles was busy stitching her up, making concerned noises about possible muscle and ligament damage. Beatrix, her partner in crime as it were, had received a nasty gash to her mid-rift while on her revenge rampage, but Sandra pronounced that a flesh wound that just needed stitching and bandaging.

The two Watchers and Kennedy had done a good job at keeping everyone relatively unharmed in the second house. Jo, one of the new SIT's had a gash in her upper arm, and Kennedy was bleeding from a cut in her eyebrow and was sporting what would be a nice black eye.

The worst to fair was Georgia, she definitely had a dislocated shoulder and a few broken ribs, not to mention various lacerations from the broken glass. Zoë and Tara had moved her up to the witches' room and had made her more comfortable, and were doing what they could to help her.

"Hey we didn't loose anyone." Xander said cheerily as she handed out glasses of juice. "Good guys thirty, bad guys nil." He looked around smiling.

"Yeah you're right." Faith dabbed at her annoyingly bleeding lip. "The security systems worked good and hey everyone did do great." She ran her hands through her messy hair.

"It's going to take me a while to get the security system back online, they broke most of the trip wires." Willow scowled at the read out her laptop gave her over the security grid. "But I most of the basic coverage restored now on the inside." She pressed a button and a soft green light flickered on and off under the main security panel.

"I doubt they'll attack again." Sandra shook her head as she gave Chia the once over. "Thirty is quite a heavy loss, I think we might just have given the First something to think about."

"Yeah maybe." Buffy didn't seem wholly convinced.

"Come on B, we did great." Faith glanced at the blonde Slayer and then at the roomful of potentials, knowing they needed something positive from everyone they looked up to.

"Yes, we did." She straightened her back. "And with the basic security grid back in place, we should try to rest more."

"Before a hearty victory breakfast BBQ." Faith grinned slapping her hands together.

"Okay then." Buffy kept up with the positive up-tempo feel. "We're going to need a bit of a shift around so that we can look after anyone with injuries." She glanced around. "Tara mentioned keeping the wounded with her and Willow. So I recommend that Willow and Tara, Giles and Sandra, if you guys don't mind sharing the house here." She glanced at the Watchers who for some reasons avoided looking at each other but agreed. "With Flick, Beatie and Georgia. I thought you and Sandra could have the basement Giles, more room to you know avoid each other."

"We're adults Buffy, I'm sure we can get along just fine." Giles replied with a nod.

"Andrew you stay here too with the totem." Buffy nodded at the young man who retook his place on the couch. "Then Owl and I will move next door, where you are now Faith."

The dark haired Slayer arched an eyebrow but listened without comment for now.

"It's the biggest house and therefore would be best to have two slayers and the majority of the potentials. That way if we have another breech we'll have the strongest fighting force to meet them head on." Buffy explained her choice. "Alice and Donna, you two stay together with us there, Emily and Carmeal you too. Jo, if you think you're strong enough, you and Stacey I thought can move over to our house. Chia and Zoë can stay put depending on if Tara needs Zoë's help here." She looked to see Tara shake her head. "Then Faith if you have Kennedy, Vi, and Amanda along with Anya, Xander, and Dawn." She outlined checking the details were acceptable and that she hadn't missed anyone. "We can move belongings and things in the morning."

"Sounds fine." Faith shrugged. She understood the point of the new arrangements well enough not to argue. "Lets move it out new gang." She smiled and limped slightly on her way to the door.

It took almost as long as the battle had to get everyone into their new places and Spike back on routine night time patrol as everyone attempted to settle back down.

-x-

Buffy rubbed the face cloth over the spots of blood on her arms as she descended the staircase into the basement. She could see Owl for some insane reason was doing push ups against the short piled carpet. She was glad to see that after a quick shower and change of clothes her lover was looking less the bloody warrior and more like herself.

"Not tired?" She checked as she moved over and sat on the low bed.

"Not particularly, but I can go do these in the kitchen if you are." Owl pushed up and flexed her arms backward.

"Do you want to get away from me?" Buffy asked not quite reading the other woman's tone right she was sure but she bit down the instant defensive desire to just turn and go to bed without a comment.

"No." Piper shook her head and crossed over to Buffy. "God no!" She added breathing in a little as she drew closer. "I just meant if you're tired and need to rest then I don't want to interrupt you. I'm kinda buzzed that's all."

"Are you?" Buffy felt her own skin tingle as the tall woman walked closer. She felt herself breathe in almost feeling how hot her body was now compared to the air. She stood up and walked across the room, draping the face cloth over the edge of the laundry basket.

"Yeah, like I drank way too much coke and am zipping around on a caffeine and sugar high." Owl followed and reached her hand up to draw it over Buffy's shoulder, feeling her stomach tighten as she did so as a bolt of desire flared through her.

"Not sugar, it's something else." Buffy felt her body shiver at the touch and she swallowed hard.

"Oh." Piper moved closer still and pressed her lips onto Buffy's bare upper arm. "Like what?"

"Like..." Buffy groaned where Piper touched her, the feeling that her stomach had sunk completely out of her body made her arch slightly. "You're a slayer now."

"You mean the fact that I'm a slayer is going to make me feel a little like I'm tripping all the time?" Owl chuckled as she wound an arm around Buffy's waist. "That's gonna take some getting used to." She kissed Buffy's arm again.

"No, just after you slay." Buffy pulled in another gasp of air, she didn't know what it was but the feeling of it was vaguely familiar. It reminded her of when she used to dance with Faith at the Bronze before everything had gone sour between them, the electricity that seemed to build in the air when they tried to burn off energy after patrol. But with Piper it was that electric feeling to the infinity power, it was like shards of lightening was gapping between them trying to pull them closer together. "Faith calls it the HH factor."

"The HH factor?" Piper moaned rather than spoke as she drew her kisses up towards Buffy's neck.

"You..." Buffy tipped her head back unable to resist as the new Slayer's lips left a fiery line on her skin. "Slay and then you get hungry and…" She groaned again as Piper reached her earlobe. "Horny." She breathed out hotly.

"Oh I see." Piper pulled her lips back a little. "And do you not agree with Faith on this?" She asked making a conscious effort not to touch the other woman erotically.

"Yes." Buffy reached up grabbing Piper by the collar and pulled her closer again. "But don't ever tell her that." She pressed her open mouth to the new Slayer's kissing her deeply.

"Mmmmm Baby." Owl rested both of her hands on Buffy's hips and hoisted her powerfully up off her feet, groaning when Buffy wrapped her legs around her body. Supporting her lover's body weight easily Owl made the short distance from where they stood to the nearest wall. Pressing Buffy's back against it Piper leaned her head in and began licking, nipping and sucking her neck.

"God you feel so good." Buffy pressed her shoulders against the wall pushing out with her hips against Owl. It felt so good to not have to try and control the strength of the squeeze she had around Owl's body. She pulled at her lover's shirt trying to get it up and off her body.

"You too." Owl struggled trying to help Buffy for a moment before with an annoyed growl she just pulled the shirt free of her body, tossing it behind her on the floor. Piper pushed back with her hips rolling them into Buffy's body. "And mmmmm whose been holding back on me? You've got a grip to die for." Shifting her hands Piper pushed hotly up and down Buffy's thighs, pushing her hands up under the material of the sleep shorts Buffy had changed into.

"I didn't want to hurt you before." Buffy used a moment of leverage to pull off her own shirt as her body ground down into Piper's waist and hands.

"Now you won't." Piper licked across Buffy throat. "Now you can let me feel exactly who Buffy Summers is." She moaned as the idea excited her more.

"You want to feel that?" Buffy knew that she had intended to ask but it came out more of a husky challenge.

"I need to feel it." Piper growled back. "I need to feel you."

"I need to feel you too." Buffy growled back.

"Are you sure?" Owl continued to restrain herself somewhat.

"Piper everything you feel I feel." Buffy massaged her hands into her lover's strong shoulders. "Every touch is electric and I need more."

"Oh God what is it about when you say that, when you talk to me." Owl growled. "Your voice speaks right into me, deep inside."

"Exactly." Buffy encouraged her by arching her hips again. "We're the same now Piper, same feelings, same senses."

"Same strengths, same passion." Owl recaptured Buffy's lips. Buffy kissed her back, slipping her tongue into the other woman's warm mouth. "Oh God Buffy." Piper growled again, pushing her hands up inside Buffy's shorts to grip her ass tightly. She pulled her lover's hips forward so that Buffy's back had to brace harder against the wall.

"Bed." Buffy groaned her muscles flexing into Piper's hands.

"Yes." Piper pulled back off the wall carrying Buffy safely with her. She dropped lightly onto her knees as she laid Buffy down on her back.

"Clothes off." Buffy instructed quickly pushing at her own shorts. Owl backed completely off and stripped out of her hot sweaty gear. Standing naked at the side of the bed she was breathing harder as she watched Buffy finish peeling off her own clothes. "I want you." She growled leaning up to her, pulling her closer and kissing across Piper's stomach.

Piper arched her body, tipping her head back and ran her fingers through Buffy's hair as lips touched her hot skin. Buffy swirled her tongue around Piper's bellybutton, dipping it in slightly every so often.

"Oh yesss." Piper moaned in encouragement and pleasure.

Buffy snaked her hands around, cupping the backs of the tall woman's thighs, her fingers pressing in and she kissed over the arch of her hip.

"God Buffy." Owl let her hips flare forward, her thighs tensing.

Kissing down towards the apex of her lover's legs, Buffy urged her to step up and kneel on the bed as she began lowering to the mattress. Piper moved as the blonde urged her, dropping heavily onto her knees but keeping her back straight. Buffy kept moving down urging Piper to shuffle forward with her until she had her just where she wanted her. When in the right spot Buffy just had to lift the short distance off the mattress and press her tongue between her lover's hot wet lips. Owl shifted her hands up and pressed her palms against the wall to brace in place as she let the other Slayer's actions turn her on even more.

"That's it." Buffy felt the tall woman above her brace her weight and gripping her arms around Piper's thighs she pressed in deeper. From the bottom angle she had to search for a moment before the tip of her tongue slid over the new Slayer's rock hard clit.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Owl slapped her hand on the wall hard cracking the plaster a little. "Oh crap." She panted seeing the damage.

"It's okay, just be careful." Buffy smiled up at her before she pushed her mouth back into place swirling her tongue again inside.

"Noted." Piper leaned her forehead against the wall and let her breathing come in fast short gasps. Buffy closed her lips sucking harder on the flesh she teased. "I... I need to touch you baby." Piper's eyes briefly closed as she felt a flood wash through her.

"Then move." Buffy pulled her head back resting on the mattress as she panted. "And touch me."

"How about..." Owl carefully shifted so that her hips still straddled the other woman's head but her own head rested just over Buffy's stomach. She pressed down the short distance to brand the taunt muscles with a kiss. "This."

"Mmmmm." Buffy arched up into the kiss.

"Okay for you?" Owl checked kissing down over Buffy's taut abs with wet lips.

"Yes." Buffy groaned as she pulled Owl's hips down and licked up through her body again.

Piper continued to kiss downwards slowly changing her kissing to licking as she traced over trimmed blonde hairs. Buffy arched up more wanting Piper's mouth were hers was. She felt her lover getting wetter as her hips started to rock against the motion of her tongue.

Unable to resist the heavy musky scent rising from Buffy's arousal any longer Piper let her tongue glide down between hot wet lips. The touch made the blonde's lips lose their place for a moment as she let a loud moan shiver into Owl's body.

Piper moaned back in an instant reaction, letting her lips vibrate against Buffy's heat in return, her hips flaring down. Buffy groaned but this time but she used the flare of passion as she pressed her tongue into tight inner lips.

"Oh fuck." Piper breathed out, her hot breath spilling over Buffy's clit and wet opening, while her own tight inner muscles desperately tried to lock onto Buffy's tongue.

In a feedback loop, Buffy made almost the same noise as she pressed in and out.

Eager to taste more, Owl let her tongue take up the rhythm Buffy's had already set, the first press sending a bolt of desire flaring through her body to the point she had to fight not to climax instantly. Buffy had the same fight, as the sudden new sensation made her hips flare up to Piper's mouth. Instantly sucking harder Piper slid her hands down over Buffy's silky soft thighs.

"Oh God." Buffy moaned as her hips jumped, her thighs tensing and she sucked down on the hard nub of flesh in front of her again.

Unable to stop it this time Piper let the heavenly feeling of release flood over her, her hips bucking and bouncing down to Buffy's tongue. The feeling of Owl's body rolling and spasming was all that Buffy needed to be pushed over herself, her hips arching up as her body quivered and bucked with the overwhelming sensation.

Gasping to try and breathe while licking and sucking all Buffy had to offer, Owl was amazed when her own level of arousal didn't drop with her orgasm, but instead continued to throb and grow inside her.

"Flip around." Buffy urged her with a groan as she released the hard grip she ha on Piper's legs. The tall woman did exactly that at her lover's bidding, eager to experience more. "Mmmmm." Buffy leaned and kissed her desperate to taste the mingling in their mouths.

Piper slid her tongue everywhere she could in and around Buffy's mouth, almost intoxicated by the taste, smell and heat flaring between them. Buffy matched her intense exploration wanting to taste and devour just as much.

Unable to keep the exploring limited to her mouth and tongue, Owl slid her hands onto Buffy's gently curved hips, running hot fingers up and down smooth skin. A moan met her back as Buffy's hand came up pressing into her right breast and began kneading it.

"Tell me." Owl pulled her head back briefly. "Tell me we don't have to stop this until morning." She gripped Buffy's hip and sliding her hand down she guided one of the blonde Slayer's legs up to slide over her own.

"We don't have to stop." Buffy hooked her leg over Piper's butt.

"Oh thank God." Piper groaned pressing her body to Buffy's.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere." Buffy used the moment to push Owl back onto the mattress, her body coming instantly to straddle her lover before she leaned down pressing into another hot kiss.

-x-

Sandra knocked on the door of the big house, knowing it was somewhat silly but not able to shake her formal nature. After all they were all now family of sorts, pushed together by the horror of the situation they were currently in, the 'us against them' attitude making fast friends and allies. She was broke out of her thoughts when Jo pulled open the door, the SIT was obviously only half awake as she blinked at the Watcher.

"Good morning Jo." Sandra smiled at the young SIT. "I was wondering if perhaps Piper and Buffy were up."

"Well it is kinda early, I'm only up to get painkillers." She backed up a little and glanced at her watch to confirm it was indeed just shy of seven am. "But you can check."

"It's important that I speak with Piper." She nodded and moved inside. "How are you feeling? I can change the bandage if you like."

"It's pretty quiet, I think people are lying in with all the activity in the night." Jo reached up and put her hand over the gaze on her arm. "Naw, it's okay. I just wanted some Tylenol."

"I can imagine everyone is glad for a few quite moments, it was a difficult evening." She gave her an encouraging smile. "Do you want me to get you painkillers and something to drink?"

"No, it's fine I should get you something." Jo woke up a bit more and realized her mother would kill her for not being a better hostess.

"No Jo I'm fine take care of yourself, I'll check to see if Owl is up or leave her a note." Sandra assured her and moved to the basement door knocking on it.

-x-

"Buffy?" Piper opened one eye and looked up from her place on the floor, the sheet from the bed tangled around her legs and her blonde lover sprawled over her chest.

"Tired." Buffy grumbled not moving an inch.

"I think someone knocked on the door." Piper looked around a little more trying to work out where in the room she was exactly as the knock sounded again. "Definitely the door." She rubbed her eyes. "Who's there?" She called trying to free her legs and move Buffy.

"It's Sandra, Owl I need to speak with you. I'm sorry to wake you." The voice called down.

"Tell them to go away." Buffy rolled over.

"I'd better not. Don't you move a muscle, I'll bring you breakfast in bed as soon as I've dealt with the female Giles." Piper managed to excavate herself to stand up. "You rock my world Buffy." She said as she felt a warm ache spread through her as she straightened out her legs and back.

"Mmmmm rock... yeah the floor is hard." Buffy grumbled still asleep.

"Okay hint taken." Owl leaned down and picked up the sleeping Slayer, laying her lightly on the bed, trying her best to cover her with the tangled and slightly ripped sheet.

"Mmmmm." Buffy snuggled down immediately.

Piper placed a kiss on Buffy's cheek before moving gingerly to scramble into her discarded clothes and up the stairs to the main floor.

"Good Morning." Sandra stepped back when the door opened.

"Barely." Owl slipped out of the door and eased it closed behind her.

"Yes, sorry." Sandra apologized again. "It was just I was up early and I came across something I wanted to discuss with you rather urgently."

"Discuss away, sit-down." Owl led her through to the large kitchen and urged her to take a place at the brunch table in one corner.

"Well, I was doing some research last night and I found this." She sat down and slipped a torn shred of paper over the table to the new slayer.

"Found it where?" She picked it up but long before it reached her vision she knew the answer. She could smell the faint trace of familiar perfume on the pale yellow paper and recognised the trademark brown ink that Shanti always used.

"Shanti's journal." The Watcher confirmed. "It was tucked in the back where the cover sheet had lifted a little from the back cardboard." She explained. "The underlines seem to suggest it's important. I was wondering if it meant anything to you."

Piper looked down at the briefly written note. Indeed the small scrap of paper had only one word and a series of three small numbers on it, though they were underlined in five bold strokes.

"Father 114?" She read it softly to herself and found that it didn't spark any meaning inside her other than to remind her that she had lost the person responsible for writing it. "No clue, sorry." She frowned and pushed it away a little.

"Please at least think about it, maybe something will come to you." Sandra encouraged.

"Okay I will, but Shanti's father's dead." Piper shook her head. "Perhaps it's the number of his burial plot or something."

"Would she keep something like that tucked away?" Sandra asked honestly.

"I wouldn't have said so, no." Owl admitted easily.

"I was thinking perhaps it was another code." The Watcher urged. "That she would expect you to understand, to piece together. As you said her father is dead, but it could be something else to do with him, or yours or something else related to the number."

"I've never seen the number before, it's not something I know." Piper shook her head. "114, perhaps its a page number reference, was there more than 114 pages in the almanac?"

"No, the almanac only has 87." Sandra shook her head. "The number is probably a marker and the key has to be the word father."

"I'll think about it." Owl gave another shrug, to be honest she didn't want to think about this right now. She didn't want to think about how Shanti wasn't here, wasn't able to just explain herself what the reference was. All she wanted to do was make Buffy breakfast and crawl back downstairs to be with the blonde Slayer a few more hours before the world required so much from both of them.

"Thank you." Sandra nodded. "I'll leave you with that then. Giles and I were hoping to get all the healthy girls out for some practice before lunch. Perhaps you could let Buffy know."

"As its pre breakfast still I'm sure Buffy will be more than willing by lunch time." Piper pointed out again subtly that it was before seven.

"Piper, I understand that this might not be a conversation you are prepared to have which is why I wanted to have it with you personally without Mr. Giles." Sandra began somewhat ignoring the subtle hint. "But as the new Slayer, on top of the other things we've discussed already, there is a need to underline that if you need anything, any form of support, that you can come to either of us. I don't consider my role as a watcher to be a job or an occupation, it is my duty."

"Thank you Ms. Webster." Piper smiled tightly.

"I understand that you've had significant trouble in the past with the Council, I want to assure you that I never agreed with what was done." She pushed up nodding. "I'll leave you for breakfast."

"Ms. Webster." Owl watched her moving but didn't stand, even when the older woman stopped at the back door. "You and your Council left Shanti to die because of petty ignorance, I wasn't the slayer then, I couldn't stop you, but that's changed now. I won't let you hurt the people I love again." She looked at the Watcher with dark eyes.

"You are going to make a fine slayer Piper, of that I have no doubt." Sandra nodded that she understood.

"And I am sure you are a competent watcher Sandra." She returned the compliment with a nod of her own.

"I'll see you at the training." Sandra smiled and moved through the door outside.

-x-

Owl wasn't surprised to find that Buffy hadn't done anything accept sprawl out further over the bed while she had been upstairs. The sleepy Slayer didn't even seem to notice her footsteps as she descended the stairs, or here the rattle as the cutlery dance a little around the tray she carried bouncing off juice glasses and plates.

"Here you go baby." Piper carefully laid it on the side table hoping to rouse her lover.

"Huh?" Buffy opened one eye and took a deep breath. "Mmmmm smells good."

"You have, bacon, hash browns, eggs, toast, fruit juice and fresh coffee." Piper gave her a run down of the contents of the tray as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Mmmmm you're a God." Buffy pushed up yawning slightly.

"No I'm a slayer, but close." Piper grinned and leaned in to steal a kiss from the still half asleep blonde.

"How did I get up here?" Buffy questioned patting the mattress.

"I carried you." Piper replied smiling. "The floor was too hard for you."

"Thank you." Buffy blushed tucking the sheet around her as she reached for some juice. "I'm sorry I don't remember you doing that, I must have really been asleep."

"You were, we both were kind of, well exhausted." Piper smirked.

"We were." She nodded. "Are you hungry?" She picked up a hash brown and started munching, the idea that food was on its way instantly settled the hollow feeling in her stomach.

"I kinda munched when I was cooking." Piper admitted her own weakness. The smell as she'd started cooking had convinced her own empty stomach now rather than later was the time to eat. "But I like watching you." She sunk down onto the bed to rest on her back.

"I'm starved." Buffy picked up the fork and her plate starting to eat more voraciously now that she knew it was all for her.

"God you're even sexy when you eat." Piper licked her lips.

"You're biased." Buffy laughed and looked down at her lover.

"I'm not sure about biased, but I'm sure as hell still horny, I thought it was just a post slayage thing." Piper shifted a little in her place.

"Piper!" Buffy squeaked and blushed.

"Sorry." The taller woman pushed off the bed and was up standing halfway across the room in a matter of seconds.

"Where are you going?" Buffy questioned immediately.

"I thought I'd take a shower while you were munching and take the opportunity to cool off." She filled in her hasty plan.

"Why would you want to cool off?" The blonde Slayer frowned.

"So I don't make you squeak and blush again." Piper explained her reason.

"Piper, I was just... why are you always pulling back from me?" She was about to explain and then decided on the more serious question.

"What do you mean?" The taller woman asked frowning.

"I squeak, which I don't do by the way, because you say horny at eight o'clock in the morning out of the blue and you're off taking a cold shower. Last night you were going to go upstairs and do push-ups in the kitchen rather than doing what we did all night." Buffy explained her motivation for the question.

"Because I don't want to be demanding." Piper explained her reason easily. "I don't want you to feel that I'm someone, something that always wants something from you, because it's not like that." She shook her head. "I don't want you to think I'm using you."

"Maybe I don't think it's demanding, maybe I think it's you well... wanting me." Buffy put down her plate. "I mean I didn't squeak 'cause I wasn't thinking the same thing, I squeaked 'cause you know as Faith says I can be a tight ass stuck up."

"You're not, you're just more proper than her or I." Piper smiled softly and moved back to the bed.

"Nice way of putting it." Buffy smiled back. "Piper, if I don't want to do something I'll tell you okay? But don't assume I don't." She added softly.

"Sounds good to me." Piper reached out and took Buffy's hand.

"And I don't think you're using me." Buffy underlined squeezing her lover's hand.

"I'm not." Owl gave a firm headshake. "If you told me last night was the last time you wanted to touch me, then I'd accept it." She pointed out the truth. It would kill her of course to never be able to enjoy this intimacy with Buffy, to have this wonderful feeling with her but if it was what the blonde wanted she would never be able to refuse her.

"With protest?" Buffy looked at her.

"Well yes, I mean giving up making hot rampant love to the sexiest slayer in the world without a fight?" Piper shook her head.

"I was worried for a second." The blonde teased picking up her plate again.

"So should I get that shower, I could nip back to the main house, pick up some clothes." Piper offered.

"If you want to leave, I'll just have to lay here on my own." Buffy finished her juice laying back.

"I don't want to leave." Piper shook her head.

"Then don't." Buffy suggest gently. "You still hungry?" She held up a mouth full of bacon for her.

"Mmmmm no, no you eat." Piper relaxed onto the bed lying along side Buffy to watch her continue eating. "So come on." She got comfortable "I want details about you, you know morning after chat." She winked. "Now that I'm a Slayer too."

"What kinda details?" Buffy took a piece of toast.

"Anything you think I should know." The taller woman beamed.

"Apparently you make me comfortable so I don't wake up and do make me babble in my sleep." The blonde Slayer laughed at herself.

"You also drool and you have this habit of squeezing." Piper replied.

"Squeezing what?" Buffy looked at her worried. Piper glanced down at her chest with an arched eyebrow. "I told Willow we should start an "I'm a breast girl" club." Buffy blushed though she tried to act confident.

"Well with Tara it'd be a crime not to be a breast girl don't you think?" Piper chuckled.

"Oh checking out Tara's breasts are you?" Buffy looked at her in mock horror. "Trying to make me feel inadequate." She looked down at her significantly smaller breasts.

"No!" Piper shook her head.

"No I understand, you're going to suggest I get implants soon." Buffy put a hand up to her forehead making her lover laugh hard at the melodramatic pose.

"Baby." She shook her head. "I'm in the ass club." She winked.

"You want me to get butt implants?" Buffy pouted.

"No, these buns are great." Piper laughed again and playfully rolled Buffy over and slapped her bare ass cheek.

"Hey missy." Buffy laughed as the smack reverberated through the room. "You should move the tray honey." Her voice changed with the more serious comment.

"Oh yeah." Piper released the other woman and picked up the tray putting it down on the floor. Buffy stayed on her stomach and turned watching her. "All safe." Piper settled back on the bed.

"Now back to this thing about my butt.' Buffy smiled.

"U-huh." Piper reached out and traced around the exposed cheeks.

"So that's your generally favourite body part?" Buffy asked folding her arms under her head relaxing as warm fingers traced over her skin.

"Yes, that and legs." Piper let her fingers slid down over warm thighs.

"Mmmmm." Buffy's eyes dipped closed a bit. "You have nice legs."

"Nah, they're just long." Piper shook her head and slid her fingers back up and around Buffy's ass cheeks again.

"Mmmmm don't argue with me." Buffy warned playfully. "I've never done this." She added more seriously.

"Never done this?" Piper questioned.

"The morning after chat." Buffy opened her eyes.

"How does it feel?" Piper moved her hand up to stroke over her shoulder.

"I strangely find myself wanting to ask you cheeky questions." Buffy closed her eyes again.

"Go ahead." Piper encouraged her, definitely edged on by the anticipation of wondering what her lover would ask and the relaxation that had settled into Buffy's body.

"I don't ask cheeky questions, I'm the slayer Piper." Buffy screwed up her nose and shook her head lightly.

"Me to, so ask." She winked and the reality of the comment made Buffy laugh and smile. They were indeed both the Slayer now, so maybe she could risk opening up just a little.

"Mmmmm okay... is there anything that you want to try that you never have?" Buffy asked purposely closing her eyes again.

"Making love on the beach." Piper's answer was comfortable.

"We have beaches." Buffy smiled and opened her eyes.

"Excellent." Piper smiled broadly. "You?" She asked in return.

"I don't know, we've done so many things I'd never thought of that have been nice." The blonde admitted softly.

"Okay of them any you want to repeat, often." Piper asked with a wink.

"Outside after the party." Buffy bit her lip. "Oh and to try chocolate body paint." She laughed. "Willow got some from Anya the other year and I swear she was grinning for two weeks."

"After the party was amazing baby." Piper encouraged her choices. "And body paint sounds great. Other cheeky questions?"

"What fantasies do you have?' Buffy giggled lightly.

"Oh really cheeky questions, I like it." Piper grinned more.

"So answer." Buffy prompted.

"Well now I've met you, my whole fantasy thing is shifting a little." Piper admitted the simple truthful fact that she'd realized herself over the last little while.

"Shifting how?" Buffy questioned watching her.

"Well before my fantasies were all about being a stereotypical butch girl. You know, packing in public and making love to my girl in the car, in the mall..." The newest Slayer admitted. "Anywhere mainstream said I shouldn't."

"I can see you doing that." Buffy smiled as she thought about them being like that. "I can't say I get this whole butch and femme thing but I can see what you're saying. What do you think about now though?"

"Well now sometimes it's more thinking of you wearing her and…" Piper's face broke into a wide grin. "Taking me. The whole lines of butchdom have blurred."

"I wouldn't want to wear her in public, but I'd like to try." The blonde's voice was soft. "In private." She spelled out her condition.

"At the right time, when you're confident and in private for sure." Piper encouraged softly. "So how do you feel about my original fantasies?" She added looking at Buffy.

"They sound..." Buffy thought about them and smiled. "Nice."

"And your fantasies?" Piper's voice dropped lower.

"I bet they sound childish compared to yours." Buffy shook her head.

"Tell me them anyway, I have one about going to the fair and being bought a balloon and eating candyfloss. Winning a cute cuddly toy and sharing an ice cream together while the fireworks go off." The tall Slayer filled out the simple idea.

"And riding the Ferris wheel?" Buffy's smile brightened. "Getting stuck at the top and making out?"

"Exactly." Piper nodded.

"That sounds lovely." Buffy nodded.

"So come on, give me a 100% Buffy fantasy." Piper shuffled a bit closer to her.

"I don't know if I have one." Buffy shook her head.

"Well you're going to have to work on one then aren't you?" Piper leaned in and kissed her cheek. "So anything else you want to ask?"

"Is there anything unusual that you like?" She asked quietly.

"Well Myst isn't that common, I don't think." Piper shrugged.

"No, more... what's the word... they always use it on those late night sex shows." Buffy bit her lip trying to think and feeling a bit embarrassed as she'd just admitted she'd watched a show like that.

"Is this a fetish question?" Piper raised an eyebrow.

"Fetish, yes that's the world." Buffy was happy her lover understood. "God I'm sad, I sound like Anya." She grimaced and put her head in the pillow.

"No, you don't." Piper rubbed her arm. "You sound great." She underlined wanting her to feel more comfortable. "Now let me think about the fetish thing. I like leather, that could be classed as a fetish, but I don't think so as by leather I mean as a preference for my harnesses occasionally and I do own, used to own leather handcuffs."

"So you like handcuffs?" Buffy looked at her a bit warily.

"They can be fun." Piper nodded. "But only if you know both parties agree to it and enjoy."

"But how do you know if you like it?" The Slayer turned on her side facing the other woman. "I've been put in them a few times… I mean when chained up by someone evil to be killed or…" She stopped talking when Piper raised a finger up to her lips.

"When using them for fun." She stressed the scenario. "You play around with them a few times when you're making love, you know try them on, feel them, get to know what they are like, and then take it further if you both think the intro sessions worked well."

"There's very little you can tie a slayer into that she can't bust her way out of." Buffy admitted the realistic fact.

"True." Piper smiled. "So how about you? Like to dress up like a baby and roll around in mud twice a month with a Russian shot putter called Nikkita?"

"Pardon?" Buffy looked at her horrified.

"Just condensing a few fetishes I watched bad TV docudramas about." Piper laughed and leaned in to kiss her. "Don't worry, none are my thing."

"I think I like when you talk about things." Buffy admitted. "About what we're doing."

"That's no so much a fetish as a preference." Piper assessed.

"Oh." Buffy leaned closer. "I guess I'm boring."

"Oh I wouldn't say so, especially not if you decide that you like me to do it, in public places or when I meet your father or something." She chuckled. "Hello Mr. Summers, I just have to tell you I love the way your daughter feels, and God she tastes amazing. The way her hips jump and roll when you tongue her clit, I tell you Ken, Len, Harry, Larry, whatever your name is, the way your daughter screams and then whimpers when she's about to explode is breathtaking."

"Piper!" Buffy blushed and slapped her arm. "His name is Hank and you are so not telling him that ever. Not that we talk to him anyway but no." She tapped her lover's stomach. "Not having that conversation with my dad."

"Oh I don't know, I think that maybe Hank has a right to know he produced a yummy, sexy, oral loving daughter." Piper teased. "Now you see my dad John, if you went to tell him that..." Piper's voice suddenly stopped.

"He'd?" Buffy questioned when she stopped.

Not answering Piper pushed her hand into her pocket and pulled out the scrap of paper.

"Buffy, have you seen a bible anywhere?" She asked oddly.

"Over at my house we have one." Buffy raised an eyebrow as their conversation took a drastically sideways turn.

"Earlier Sandra came around, her and Giles had found this." She handed Buffy the slip of paper from her pocket. Buffy read it still not understanding exactly what had caused Piper to asked for a bible. "I didn't have a clue about it."

"So you think it's a bible reference?" Buffy tried to catch on.

"Until then, I couldn't understand why she had written father with a capital F, but now I think I do because she didn't so much mean father as she meant father's name. Now her father was called something I'm not even sure I can pronounce, but my father like I just said, his name is John. Also father with a capital F, God the Father has a capital F, so what if by writing Father like this, Shanti was trying to tell me John in the bible." Piper explained her reasoning.

"Okay so we need a bible." Buffy nodded and pushed up. "Do you want me to get it?" She moved to grab her shirt.

"There might be one here." Owl looked around.

"Let me look." Buffy looked around trying to find a place to start. Making a calculated guess she pulled the dresser drawers out checking there first.

"It could be John 1 verse 14, or John 11 verse 4." Piper pondered looking at the numbers. "I'm pretty damn sure there's not a John 114." She laughed to herself. "Not that I was ever that good at the whole bible studies thing."

"Don't look at me." Buffy pulled out a bottom drawer and moving some papers and pictures saw a leather bound book with 'Bible' embossed in silver letters onto the cover. Obviously it had been bought for whoever called the basement in the house home but looked like it had never been used. "Bingo." She held it up and moved over to the bed handing it to Piper.

"Which should we look at first?" She asked the blonde for her opinion.

"Try 114, then work back." Buffy shrugged. "I don't know the verses either."

"Okay." Piper nodded and flicked the bible open. "Pretty sure it's in the back half." She winked and speedily found the book of John. "Nope no 114!" She smiled and flipped back to chapter eleven. "When Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."

"Next." Buffy encouraged.

"Okay, one verse fourteen 'And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us'..." Piper read aloud. "Or I could be completely wrong." She looked a little deflated not gleaning anything from the words.

"And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us." Buffy stood up pacing as she repeated it. "Was made flesh... I can't believe we didn't think of it." She looked at Piper slapping her forehead.

"Think of what?" Piper blinked back.

"Why can't we beat the First?" Buffy questioned hoping she might see and confirm the validity of her very new theory.

"Because we can't..." Piper looked up. "And the word became flesh." She grinned brightly jumping up and hugging Buffy tightly. "We make it flesh and we can kick its ass!"

"We have to talk to Willow and Tara." Buffy hugged her back almost lifting off the ground into her tall lover's arms.

"And Giles and Sandra." Piper nodded sweeping Buffy off her feet into her arms and heading for the stairs.

"Piper, Piper." Buffy giggled as they hit the first one. "I'm sorta naked."

"Oh whoops." Piper laughed louder as she registered Buffy only had a shirt on.

"Let me get dressed then we can swoop over." Buffy kissed her.

"Damn this good news." Piper suddenly frowned as dropped Buffy lightly to her feet.

"Why?" Buffy frowned with her.

"It means you have to cover up all that yummy, delectable, God I want you skin." She grinned broadly.

"If we're quick, it's still early." Buffy reached up and put her hand over Piper's breast to squeeze lightly.

"You mean we can... you don't mind... I'm sure we can be quick, well, quicker than last night." Piper leaned in and seared the blonde's neck with hot kisses in between jagged sentences.

"I want you." Buffy groaned.

"Can I up that want to need?" Piper growled licking across her throat.

"Mmmmm yes." Buffy squeezed her fingers rolling them over a hardening nipple.

"You're sure the information can wait?" Piper checked, biting her lip as urges soared through her.

"The witches are probably not up yet." Buffy squeezed harder. "Just get us back to bed." She urged her lover.

"I'm beginning to think you like the being carried thing." Piper picked Buffy up gently.

"I like you being butchy." The blonde admitted in a whisper.

"Hey, no sexy talk, I can't be held responsible for my actions when taunted by sexy talk." She winked taking long confident strides back to the bed.

"I didn't say how I like the strong way your arms pick me up sweeping me away." Buffy teased her in a husky tone. "Or how I love that your hands always go to my behind, massaging and teasing."

"I'm warning you." Piper winked. "You're building up a butchy generator here, much more of that and I'm going to be making you beg for breathing time."

"You think you can make me beg tough girl?" Buffy challenged softly.

"Oh I'm pretty sure Myst and I can get you on your knees." Piper grinned mischievously.

"On my knees?" Buffy breathed in as the suggestion made her shiver.

"Begging." Piper clarified licking her lips.

"Begging you to what?" Buffy arched against her.

"Touch you." Piper leaned in and licked her throat. "Fill you." She licked again. "Make you scream." She felt her own insides tighten and throb at the thought.

"And… And you're not going to do that till I beg?" Buffy breathed out squeezing her hand over her lover's breast again.

"Not until you ask at any rate." Piper winked with a moan.

"Mmmmm sounds like a challenge." Buffy grinned up as she found herself lying in the middle of the bed.

"Oh believe me it's going to be such a hard challenge." Piper laughed. "And that's a promise."

"What are you waiting for?" Buffy teased.

"You to stop talking long enough to kiss." Piper teased back and instantly Buffy looked at her silently. "Just like that." Piper moaned softly and kissed her with passion, lust and promise.

-x-


	19. Chapter 19

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Nineteen.**

Buffy watched as the bible was passed around the room between all of the major decision makers, noting how the revelation dawned on each of them causing what she thought was a unanimous agreement.

"So all we need now is for someone." She smiled at Willow and Tara. "To find a way to make it fleshy and then we can kill it."

"I'm seeing that look Buffy." Willow smiled brightly. "Tara and I will get right on it, right baby?" She glanced at the other witch who was still looking a little pale.

"Of course." Tara replied though she sounded a little distracted.

"In fact we'll go start hunting right now." Willow stood up and went to the back of Tara's chair to help her out. "I want to do as much as I can on the net in case the DSL does go down."

"Don't work to hard guys." Piper smiled at them as Tara got up.

"Never, though you can bring us up lunch in a few hours." Willow smiled at everyone and led Tara up the stairs to their room closing the door securely. "Baby what's wrong?" She could tell just from the vibe she was getting downstairs something was very not right.

"It's..." Tara glanced at her lover her expression cloudy until she saw Willow's soft green eyes and her own face relaxed into a smile. "I've seen that quote before or something like it, I mean I know my Father was kinda religious but..." She frowned again thinking of the past.

"It's not that most common a quote is it? So maybe there is something in your big brain that is flagging up." Willow sat down next to her and rubbed her arm. "Try to think baby."

"I think it is quite common." Tara frowned. "It's a very Christmassy quote." She turned around and smiled at her lover. "For the Jewish you would make that rather hard to know." She pointed out lovingly. "Maybe that's why it's so familiar." She frowned again.

"Maybe if we get into some research, distract you from the idea then it will clear up?" Willow tried to be helpful.

"You're probably right." She breathed out and hugged Willow gently. "Thank you for noticing."

"It's my most important job taking care of you." Willow assured her returning the hug. "Where do you want to start? General spell search?"

"Probably best." Tara nodded and pushed up. "I could look through some of my old books." She smiled softly as she looked at the pile of crates in the corner of the room. "Though I'm almost scared to open those boxes."

"Why?" Willow looked over at them herself. Most of Tara's stuff had been moved out of the storage Xander had put it in for Willow after her death so that the blonde could have more of 'home' with her.

"Just you know, thinking that that thing Candice created. It had all my things, my clothes, my stuff." Tara shivered.

"Try not to think about that baby." Willow shivered with her. "It wasn't you, that's all we have to remember, nothing that it did was you." She shivered again moving to her laptop.

"How can I not think about it?" Tara whispered as she pulled open the top box. "It touched everything." She frowned glancing at Willow. "Even you." She breathed out the horrible reality.

"It makes me feel horrible." Willow looked down her body shaking more. "Makes me feel like I hurt you again."

"No baby no." Tara turned and hurried to Willow. She put her arms softly around her lover. "It's just, I feel I let it happen, that I let the First hurt you."

"How could you? You didn't know what it was doing. I should have known, I should have known it wasn't really you." Willow started to cry almost hysterically as the weight of this admission added itself over everything that was going on, everything they were going through falling to crush down on her again.

"Willow, oh sweetie." Tara held her close. "It's okay, you couldn't have known. Candice, she obviously wanted to hurt me, and the First well it's pure evil, it's obvious what it wanted. From what I can guess, the limited research I have done and know, it was really me almost. It was a mimic created..." Her voice suddenly drifted off. "That's it." She whispered almost absently.

"I know it was a shade, I know it was made to be you, like a photocopy, but I should of known. I just so wanted you to forgive me, to want me again." Willow held on not noticing the change in her lover's words.

"Oh I do forgive you Willow." Tara blinked focusing back on her lover, she tipped the redhead's chin upwards. "Willow, I forgive you, for the spell, for the addiction, for everything." She whispered the heartfelt words.

"I won't do it again Tara, I promise, never ever." Willow sniffled looking into forgiving blue eyes.

"Sweetie I know." Tara brushed her thumb over her lover's cheek wiping away the tears. "And if even if you slip or something, this time I promise I won't walk away, I'll stay and I'll try harder to work it out."

"I don't want to slip, I want to be better." Willow breathed in looking at her. "I know how stupid I was, how selfish, I know what I was doing wrong."

"You know now sweetie yes, but you didn't then. It wasn't your fault, you were just taken in by the power." Tara shook her head softly. "It's okay sweetie." She pressed her lips to Willow's damp cheek.

"I won't do it again Tara I promise." Willow vowed with everything she was.

"Shush Willow." Tara shook her head. "I don't need promises, I just need you."

"I need you too." Willow nodded managing a small smile. "I guess we should get researching."

"You look like you need soft snuggling a little more than hard research." Tara whispered honestly.

"But we need to find a spell." Willow protested weakly as she leaned against Tara.

"We will, but what you and I need right now is to hold each other, to forget that which hurt us and remember, touch, feel what we have now." Tara argued gently.

"You're so smart." Willow hugged her tightly.

"No, you're the smart one, I'm the pretty curvy one that can sing." Tara giggled and eased onto the bed beside her lover.

"Beautiful curvy one that can sing, dance and do anything in the world." Willow corrected settling with her.

"You Willow Rosenberg are biased." Tara leaned to drop a kiss on her forehead.

"Oh course I am." Willow laughed. "You're my everything." She closed her eyes feeling the warmth of the kiss.

"Well not your everything, I mean you'd be lost without coloured pens and your laptop." Tara hugged her closer chuckling.

"Do you still think I'm quirky?" Willow checked smiling.

"Only in the very best of ways." Tara grinned. "I think you're much more sexy and loving than quirky." She winked a sparkling blue eye.

"I love you." Willow leaned up and kissed her tenderly.

"I love you to, and…" She paused. "I'm proud of you Willow. Giles told me about your time in England, about how much you have learned and how strong you have been. You make me proud every single day Will." She underlined tracing the redhead's jaw line with her fingertips.

"I can't believe we were both in Europe, I mean Italy isn't that far away." Willow closed her eyes feeling the touch soothing her.

"We always said we couldn't stray too far from each other." Tara said warmly.

"We can't." Willow nodded. "And we never will again." Green eyes opened slowly.

"You know Willow, if we do find a spell it's probably going to be massively hard and powerful." Tara's voice grew a little more serious.

"I know, bringing form to the First can't be easy." Willow nodded. "But we can do it together." She added optimistically.

"That's just what I wanted to talk about." Tara nodded. "Magic." She added turning to look at Willow.

"Yes?" Willow questioned softly.

"I was thinking, we should, you know begin to cast together again. Just little things, but to tie our essences to back to one another." Tara explained her reasoning.

"You mean you still want to do magic with me?" Willow bit her lip almost not believing the offer.

"Willow the fact that you are special and a gifted, powerful witch hasn't changed. The fact that casting with you adds a whole dimension to our relationship hasn't either. You've learn a lot about temperance and power Willow and so have I." Tara showed that she wasn't worried.

"I think it would be good if we did... I did a lot of group work in England. Learning to work with others, how to compliment their gifts instead of overpowering with my own." Willow nodded.

"So you want to, cast together again that is?" Tara checked.

"Yes." Willow was honest. "I know this is silly but I feel like it's a test, to have your magic accept mine again and not reject it for being dark and bad."

"Willow." Tara chided her gently. "You know your magic isn't bad or dark, you just have allowed that aspect of it a channel and that won't ever close but you can learn not to open it ever again." She smiled softly.

"I know, I know that power has no type, it only has intention." The redhead nodded. "I said it was silly, it's just the fear I have."

"Not bigger than frog fear I hope." Tara smiled lovingly.

"Much smaller." Willow laughed lightly. "Did you want to do something now? Before we start the big research."

"If you're not too tired or anything." Tara nodded.

"I'm not, are you?" Willow checked softly.

"I am a little, but that will be good, because it will test you're control, because you will naturally want to add your power to mine, where I was thinking a synchronisation spell would be good, which would mean you tempering your powers." The blonde explained her intentions.

"You mean something like the rose spell?" Willow remembered the first time they had tried it.

"I think we should aim for something less pretty and more, you know, useful." Tara smiled at her lover.

"Like what?" Willow questioned not sure what she spell she meant.

"How about..." Tara thought for a moment but then looked at Willow. "We could try the rose spell but with…" She glanced around. "With a daisy." She grinned seeing the small flowers in a pot of water that Willow had brought up with breakfast.

"But I thought you wanted more useful?" Willow questioned. "Something defensive or tactical?"

"We've seen enough of that, let's just go for pretty and well, non dangerous." Tara chuckled and shook her head. "I feel like pretty."

"Okay." Willow agreed sitting up. "In here?" She questioned moving to pluck a daisy from the bunch.

"It's as good a place as any." Tara nodded. "If you're sure?" She added the proviso softly.

"I am, I can do this." Willow nodded moving down onto the floor cross-legged.

"You can." Tara followed carefully and took her place opposite the redhead as she laid the daisy on the floor. She shook out her arms for a second and then reached out across the daisy for Willow's hands.

Willow reached her hands up gripping them to Tara's lightly as she centred herself. Tara let her eyes close and took a breath watching as the world's view slipped away to be replaced with the once familiar swirl of hers and Willow's essences.

Willow did the same, the warm and comforting feeling filling her almost up to bursting as she felt the connection joining between them stronger and more powerful than she had ever felt it before.

Tara slowly opened her eyes looking over to Willow past the now floating daisy.

"You're so..." Willow breathed in so slowly. "Powerful now."

"The difference is noticeable eh?" Tara smiled a little unevenly.

"Don't you think?" Willow questioned knowing her essence must feel different as well.

"You feel the same." Tara smiled more. "Then again, I always told you, you were powerful."

"You did but I never knew... you never let this much out of your own before." Willow admitted.

"Because I didn't think I could handle it, it scared me, you scared me remember." Tara softly whispered.

"It is scary until you are in control." Willow nodded. "Did they do lots to help you feel in control in Italy?"

"They did until..." Tara paused.

"Until?" Willow prompted her.

"Until they had to change my training." Tara clarified in a whisper.

"To get you ready to come here." Willow nodded that she understood.

"Yes." Tara nodded back.

"How am I doing?" She questioned not sure that she wanted to explore exactly what the Italian coven had prepared her for yet.

"Great, I can tell you can feel that I'm dipping slightly because of yesterday, but you're not over riding me, you're balancing me." Tara nodded softly. "Do you want to do the petals?"

"I think we should." Willow nodded. "It's easier when I don't try to force things like I used to, that's what they taught me in England."

"That's right just let it happen naturally, though we'll have to counteract the disturbance from the First while we do this, remember how Ethan threw us off last time, the First is a little more powerful than that. The dampener I have around the houses should effectively block it, but you know just be aware." Tara warned gently.

"Yes, when I used magic to repel it before it bores in." Willow nodded. "Perhaps it would be best to let it invade but then just let it slide by, sorta evasive manoeuvres rather than meeting it head on?"

"Maybe." Tara nodded softly and then smiled. "You really have changed haven't you Willow." She said softly.

"I had too." Willow contradicted.

"No, you didn't." Tara shook her head

"I did." Willow contradicted softly. "It was either I change or the world went boom."

"Plenty of witches didn't change, they just kept trying to do the latter." Tara pointed out.

"I know and I did try but I couldn't go through with it." Willow frowned softly. "I knew it wouldn't be what you wanted."

"That's right Willow it wouldn't have been, I wasn't worth ending the world over." Tara shook her head.

"You're worth saving the world for." Willow whispered. "I saved the world from me for you. I know that sounds crazy."

"It doesn't." Tara shook her head. "And its time to do it again, but this time we'll be saving it together."

"I think we're in synch." Willow finally looked at the flower between them. It had every leaf pulled off and they were revolving around in almost as if they were dancing.

"Looks that way." Tara smiled proudly.

"No matter what spell it is we can do it." Willow smiled back.

"I never doubted it." Tara vowed looking into her lover's green eyes.

"You're tired baby, we should rest and research." Willow squeezed her hands softly.

"You're right." Tara nodded. "Shall I get drinks?"

"Okay." Willow nodded and the flower and its petals came to rest on the carpet.

"Willow." Tara slid their hands apart. "You really are special, remember that."

"Just as you are." She smiled back at her love, receiving a gentle kiss on the cheek before the blonde went to get them tea.

-x-

Owl watched as Faith rolled the wooden dummy out into the middle of the yard. She could see the way everyone was watching that they had great expectations for her, great expectations for the 'new Slayer'.

"Go on." Faith moved back encouraging her to start.

Owl nodded twisting the staff in her hand, the weight seemed perfect for her hands as she spun it and moved forward. A few quick strikes up the dummy's body reverberated through the back yard as the hard strikes bent into the wood. She twirled throwing some blocks and punches before she twirled the staff over her head, the extensions coming out to make the staff a true battle staff.

Feeling the new power from the large weapon she lined up and with one sure strike broke off one of the dummy's arms, with a snapping stroke before she swung the bottom end around breaking off a leg. She pulled back sidestepping as if the figure had attacked her and moving behind it she hugged the staff to her hip striking it around to break through the middle of the wooden creature. Bringing the staff fluidly around her back, her hands even leaving it for a second as it spun on momentum she curled it up and struck the head off the top. The chuck of wood that had been the poor creature's head came to rest at Faith's feet.

"Okay well any questions?" Faith laughed as she looked at the devastation and then at the crowd of SITs. Slowly one hand rose. "Vi." She nodded at her.

"When are we going to kick its ass?" She grinned brightly.

"That's the sprit." Faith walked over the short distance and patted her on the shoulder.

"When are we going to do something pro-active?" Kennedy asked seriously.

"Soon, the witches are working on a spell to make the First have a form so that we can kick its ass good." Faith assured them all. "And when that times comes we're going to need everyone to help us get to it and kill it."

"So we're not redundant now?" Emily asked warily.

"No one was ever redundant." Buffy shook her head stepping into the circle. "You are all still potentials. You are all still important in this fight and it is all of our duties to fight."

"We weren't gonna start shirking Buffy." Felicity smiled at her.

"Good, I know you are all antsy and its hard being here like sitting ducks but we need to be ready when we go on the offensive. I want our attack to be the start and the finish of this war." Buffy nodded.

"So do the witches think they have a chance with this spell?" Kennedy challenged.

"They won't have any trouble." Faith shook her head.

"Do they have a spell?" The question came from someone on the second row.

"Not yet but they are researching, they want to find the best possible one." Buffy assured the young girl. "Trust me everyone, if there are two witches we want doing this it is Willow and Tara."

"But what if they don't?" Kennedy challenged.

"They have spells Kenny, they just want to find the best one." Faith corrected her.

"So come on people." Piper stepped forward. "Go to the weapons chest and choose the one that feels best for you, its time to do some focus work on a weapon. This is going to become 'your' weapon okay, so choose carefully."

All of the potentials milled over to the chest and began the heavy task of trying to find the best weapon for them.

"How are Will and Tara doing?" Piper sidled up close to Buffy.

"I don't know. Good I imagine since they haven't come in yet." Buffy admitted watching everyone getting comfortable with their choice or taking a few moments before changing weapons to find something else.

"I'm not sure Mr. and Mrs. Watcher were convinced I was right with the whole bible thing." The new Slayer pointed out.

"I think they're pissed off they didn't think of it." Buffy smiled at her lover.

"You think?" Piper grinned.

"Wouldn't you be?" Buffy glanced back at the house. "Out done by the new slayer in less than 24 hours?"

"Are you going to tell Felicity she's not well enough to wield that broad sword or am I?" Piper nodded at the well meaning potential tried to get comfortable despite her recent injury.

"Go on, they need your guidance." Buffy encouraged her. "I'll go check on Willow and Tara."

"Okay." Piper nodded and jogged off towards the potential.

-x-

Willow blinked as she looked at the screen reading over the text again. She knew it was probably time to take a break as the words were starting to melt together a bit.

"Baby." She didn't look up but tried to call for Tara's attention. "Tara." She looked up when she didn't get a response. "Tara... baby?" She pushed the laptop aside and moved down and over to where Tara was sitting on the floor surrounded by clothes, books and other things from the boxes she was unpacking.

"Oh baby its broke." Willow moved down onto the carpet next to her lover, only then did she see the crack in the glass of the picture frame she was holding. "It's okay love, we can get a new frame." She put her arm around the blonde.

"But it wasn't." Tara shook her head running her fingers over the crack in the pane.

"It is now baby, we'll get a beautiful frame." Willow hugged her a little more.

"But how?" Tara's forehead crumpled.

"How? We'll go to the store or we could get a plain one from the craft shop and you could decoupage it." Willow offered.

"No, I mean how did it get broken." Tara frowned harder her finger pressing down over the crack as if somehow trying to take it away or make it better.

"I don't know baby, it was like that when Xander packed it I think." Willow admitted softly.

"No." The hand Tara held the picture in began to shake.

"Baby?" Willow slid her hand down over her lover's hand.

"It had no right to do this to her, to you, to me." Tara pulled away from Willow and tossed the picture towards the bed only to have it fall short and smack onto the floor the broken glass flipping up out of the frame. "No, Mommy!" Tara scrambled over to the picture trying to pick up the dislodged piece and press it back into the frame.

"Tara, honey, be careful." Willow moved over with her collecting the glass. "We'll fix it." She assured her.

"I let it do this." Tara looked down at the broken frame, a heavy tear falling down to splash onto the photograph.

"Tara." Willow softly pulled the frame out of her hands and laid it on the bed before she reached to take her lover's hands in her own. "You didn't. Tara, you didn't know. If you had known you'd having come back right away. You didn't know baby."

"I did, you don't understand." Tara frowned harder.

"You didn't love." Willow shook her head back.

"I did, I went to Candice, and I played into its hand." Tara shook her head.

"Tara, you had no idea that Candice was working with it. You thought she was your friend, you went to her for help." Willow shook her head. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I think... I think I know why she did it." Tara whispered. "Candice that is."

"Why?" Willow whispered back.

"I could be wrong, I could just be paranoid but…" Tara glanced over at the empty boxes and piles of stuff.

"But?" She urged her on.

"You." Tara blinked damp blue eyes at her lover.

"Me?" The redhead had been expecting anything other than that. "Why me?" Willow questioned still not understanding.

"I remembered earlier where I had seen that phrase." Tara tried to explain. "It was scrawled on the back of a photograph. I didn't know what the picture had been of, that is I didn't until about five minutes ago." She pushed up and away moving back to one of the piles. She flipped open the top book which turned out to be a photo album. She eased a picture out of the first page.

Willow watched her trying to understand but not seeing how the pieces fit together. Tara held the photograph out for Willow, knowing that the instant she turned it over she would recognise it as the photograph of them both at Tara's twentieth birthday party, only Tara had been carefully cut out of the picture.

"What... who did this?" Willow looked at it in disbelief.

"Candice did, I was with her when she did." Tara admitted sheepishly. "She said it was best, that I needed to separate myself from you and that this was the symbolic way of doing it." The blonde shivered.

"What did she do with you?" Willow asked her voice soft.

"This is how I know it was you she wanted." Tara replied. "She took both parts of the picture, I'm guessing she needed an image of me for the spell, but why keep this half?" She asked looking at the picture of Willow in the redhead's hand. "She said she was going to destroy it."

"Because it's a symbol." Willow leaned against the bed taking a slow breath. "The First knew without you I was going to self destruct, that I would have no balance."

"The words on the picture that I saw briefly on Candice's dresser said 'to give form where there is none, to create life in a shell. I'm guessing the picture was the me half of that photograph." Tara's head dipped.

"Tara you didn't know what she was doing." Willow moved closer guiding her face up. "You didn't know. It's not your fault."

"But I'm guessing I gave her everything she needed, well apart from the spell, that bit must have come from the First." Tara couldn't shake off the guilt. "I just let her lead me along to give her everything she needed."

"Tara, you gave her nothing that she couldn't have taken. I'm just so glad she didn't hurt you." Willow hugged her tightly.

"If we could find her we could turn the stupid First's damn spell back on it." Tara felt herself get angry.

"Why can't we?" Willow questioned pulling back to look in blue eyes.

"Why cant we what?" Tara blinked unsure what Willow was asking.

"Find her, question her, find out all that she did to help the First so we can know more about it and beat it." Willow pointed out.

"Xander and Anya tried to find her remember, she was gone, well now everyone's gone." Tara shrugged dejectedly.

"Yeah but she has to be somewhere." Willow pointed out. "I can search for her on the web."

"I suppose there's a chance." Tara nodded.

"Its worth it isn't it? To try." Willow nodded back.

"Definitely." Tara smiled weakly.

"But Tara you need to believe me okay, this wasn't your fault." Willow assured her honestly. "You would never have helped it knowingly."

"I made everything so easy for it, by being weak, doing what I always do when I get scared. I shouldn't have run away." Tara shook her head.

"And I shouldn't have made you have no choice but to leave." Willow reminded her. "Tara we can go in circles, it's no one fault but the First. It planned all of this, it wanted to hurt us."

"It succeeded." Tara said glumly as she looked at the broken photograph frame.

"But baby it didn't." Willow moved to take her hands again. "We're together, in love and it can never split us up again."

"I think I need some painkillers and maybe to lie down again." Tara said weakly reaching up a hand to her head.

"Okay baby." Willow kissed her on the forehead. "Lets get you comfy then I'll get you some headache pills."

Tara somewhat reluctantly pushed up and was about to move towards the bed when someone knocked on the bedroom door.

"Let me get it." Willow encouraged her to lie down before moving to the door. "Buffy." She opened it to see the blonde Slayer.

"Yeah, wow did a bomb go off in here or something." Buffy stepped into the room looking at the various piles.

"Tara was just unpacking some stuff to get her books." Willow smiled tightly. "She has a headache I was getting her some pills." She filled in the Slayer before she got comfortable.

"Oh right, well I just came on you know recognisance, seeing how the research was going." She glanced between Willow to Tara, who wouldn't meet her eye contact.

"It's going." Willow nodded. "I have some leads."

"Leads are good." Buffy nodded feeling oddly awkward as the tense atmosphere of the room settled against her.

"How is training?' Willow questioned moving to close the curtains a bit to cut down the light.

"Wanna come get pills?" Buffy glanced at the door.

"I'll be right back baby, do you want juice or milk?" Willow leaned down to kiss Tara on the forehead.

"Juice please." Tara requested softly.

"With a crazy straw." Willow smiled and kissed her lightly moving to pull the quilt up over her. "Be right back."

Buffy crossed to the door and eased it shut as Willow left the room. She didn't wait very long before her questions began.

"Is Tara okay? Is this still back flash from the meditation?" Her voice was full of concern.

"No." Willow wound her arms around her body. "She feels guilty for what the First did, letting it impersonate her or at least she thinks somehow she let it."

"But that's crazy, how was she to know?" Buffy shook her head.

"I know, but she feels like it's all her fault." Willow shook her head sadly.

"Still self effacing old Tara huh?" Buffy sighed.

"I just... I hate this thing. It's hurting everyone I love." Willow growled angrily.

"Easy Will, we're getting there, we're going to beat it." Buffy tried to soothe.

"We have too Buffy." She nodded. "I'm going to try and track down Candice over the net."

"We will, hey that's a great id..." The ringing of the phone cut off Buffy, just as they passed it in the hall. "I didn't think these were working." The Slayer picked it up with a slight frown.

"I didn't think it was either." Willow frowned with her.

"Hello?" She offered holding the phone at a distance from her ear.

"Buffy, its Angel." The response came in the vampire's usual bland voice.

"I recognised the voice but how the hell can you be talking to me on a phone that doesn't work." Buffy put it to her ear.

"Long story, involving Fred, an odd spell and some fuse wire." Angel replied simply. "Giles had called me on the cell, we weren't here, what's the problem?" He outlined the reason for his extraordinary call.

"Giles called you?" Buffy frowned.

"Yes, like I said when we were out," Angel replied obviously slightly confused. "You didn't know?"

"No, I didn't know." Buffy admitted wondering why her Watcher hadn't told her.

"Look has this got anything to do with Faith?" Angel sounded a little tired to have to be mentioning her name.

"No Angel, definitely no, she's been really helpful, talking of which though, why did you send her here?" Buffy took the opportunity to ask.

"Because I was concerned about what was going on there, I wanted you to have all the help you could." Angel filled in vaguely.

"Concerned how and what did you know about what was going on here?" Buffy pushed for details.

"Buffy, a girl showing up in LA as a vegetable after what I'm told is some sort of demon attack peaks my attention that something is wrong in your end of town worry." He said honestly.

"Angel what are you talking about?" Buffy frowned more. She didn't know anything about any girl.

"A Sunnydale girl showed up in an LA hospital Buffy, she's got head injuries as if she was beaten up badly but there is no signs of trauma." Angel filled her in. "They found her comatose on a bus from Sunnydale to LA."

"They did? Angel when was this." Buffy pushed.

"About a month or so before I sent Faith." Angel guessed. "I thought maybe it was something you'd need help with. A friend of mine at the hospital tipped me off."

"Did this 'friend' have any ideas as to what might have cause this?" Buffy felt a tingle in her spine.

"She didn't know, just she said it couldn't be natural if you know what I mean. She didn't even have a bruise but over half her brain was traumatized." Angel filled in sadly.

"Angel I know this is pushing it but you don't have a name do you?" Buffy glanced at Willow.

"Let me see if I wrote it down..." Angel pushed around some papers. "I think it was Karen, Karen Manesh." He didn't find what he was looking for. "Something close to that, why?"

"Nothing it was a wild shot at best." Buffy sighed slightly deflated.

"Oh no wait, here it is." Angel's tone didn't really change. "Candice Marreshi."

"Angel I love you." Buffy's eyes flared.

"Buffy?" Angel stammered obviously thrown by the sudden exclamation.

The blonde Slayer was too busy putting her hand over the mouthpiece and turning to Willow to notice his stammered response.

"Guess who found Candice." She hissed at her best friend.

"Angel?" Willow hissed back and wasn't surprised when Buffy nodded. "Where?"

"Let me get details." Buffy pulled her hand off the mouthpiece. "Angel, are you still there?" She checked.

"Yes, I'm not sure how long Fred's spell will work." He urged her to talk quickly.

"Where is she Angel, can you go see her, talk to her?" Buffy pushed.

"Buffy, didn't you hear me? She's a vegetable." Angel knew it sounded horrible but it was the truth.

"Well yes I heard you say the word but I thought you know maybe you were exaggerating." Buffy winced as the reality became clear. The lead had dried up as soon as it had presented itself.

"No. She's alive, barely but there isn't any higher brain function." Angel underlined. "That's why her putting herself on a bus and getting to LA was such a mystery. That and all of her injuries are internal."

"Angel, are you basically telling me that though this girl may exist in a hospital bed in LA, she's actually dead? The equivalent I mean." Buffy's voice was dim.

"Yes." He affirmed and Buffy's eyes flicked up to Willow's knowing the redhead was listening. "And they can't figure out how she would have been injured so drastically."

"Angel we need you to find out everything you can about her, what she was wearing if she had anything with her, please its important." Buffy said hurried as the line began to crackle and hiss a little.

"Okay, can we reach you on the cell phone?" He hoped she had heard him.

"Anytime." She called as the phone when completely dead.

"What did he say?" Willow jumped on her almost.

"You must have heard most of it Willow." Buffy needlessly put the phone back in its cradle.

"But how? How would she get like that?" Willow asked the million-dollar question.

"No one seems to know, Angel suggested it wasn't physical damage." Buffy encouraged Willow to move with her to where Giles and the research team were working.

"Someone made her a vegetable magically?" Willow thought out loud.

"Is that possible?" Buffy came to a quick stop. "I mean is it allowed?" She asked frowning.

"No it's not allowed, it would be a very bad, bad, no definitely not allowed." Willow shook her head. "But it could be possible."

"What is it Buffy?" Giles called as they blundered in the meeting. "And did I hear the phone?"

"Okay guys, conference time." Buffy nodded pulling up a chair. Willow sat down chewing on her lip and thinking.

"Have you found out something?" Sandra looked at the Slayer.

"I'm going to finish the story before I open the floor to questions okay." Buffy stated glancing around to a circle of nods. "Okay, so here it is..." Buffy gave the facts as clearly and precisely as she could and then looked around. "Anytime now guys wow me with explanations and ideas." She leaned back in her chair.

"I might have one, but…" Tara's voice was quiet and slightly shaky as the tall blonde witch stepped into the doorway. "I don't think anyone is going to like it."

"Tara." Willow was up and on her feet. "Baby, you should be resting." She moved over to her.

"I couldn't." Tara took Willow's hand and then brought her other hand from around her back, bringing with it a book that she held closed around her finger marking a spot.

"Tara what did you find?" Giles encouraged her to tell them not liking the pale colour in the witch's cheeks.

"I should have remembered." Tara whispered as she opened the book at the marked page and dropped it heavily on the table. With a slight push of her hand she pressed it down the polished top towards the Englishman. "I really did bring all of this on you." She frowned harder.

"Baby, no." Willow shook her head.

"I did." Tara flashed sad blue eyes at her lover. "The spell Mr. Giles." She encouraged the Watcher to look. Reaching out he pulled the book towards him and slipped his glasses on his nose.

"The Spell of Corporeal Shades." He read the title pulling of his glasses and looking up. "Tara I'm not sure..." He began frowning slightly.

"Its the spell Candice used." Tara said quietly.

"That Candice used." Willow underlined. "Not you."

Tara leaned forward and took the book back from Giles and handed it to Willow.

"Look at the book Will." She released it to the redhead's care and Willow immediately did just that. "It's my book Willow, the book you found the spell to bring Buffy back in, the book that let released the First into this dimension, and the book Candice used to hurt you all." Tara replied her hand shaking as she reached out to take it back. "Its my book." She looked into green eyes.

"That doesn't mean anything." Willow kept the book as she skimmed the text. "This here." She pointed to a line. "And the one who will be, the shell that is to come, must never meet lest the spell be destroyed. You couldn't make this." She argued softly with her.

"Willow is right Tara, the spell, the book, none of this is you." He supported the redhead and encouraged her to hand him the book. She did so immediately.

"Baby, this isn't your fault. Candice could have gotten a copy of this book anywhere to use, the First could have found one for her easily." She moved closer to the blonde.

"Tara is right though." Giles quickly flicked the old tome open and looked at the original spell. "This does explain what has happed to Candice."

"How?" It was Buffy who asked for more information.

"The spell clearly states that the shade must be dissipated by its creator." Giles tapped the text. "Or the created and the creator suffer the same fate." He read aloud.

"When Warren shot the shade... Candice..." Willow looked at him with wide eyes.

"Died." Giles nodded. "Not corporeally, but her essence."

"So that's why no marks on her." Buffy nodded seeing the connection.

"Exactly, though this does suggest that Tara being shot by Warren was in no way a part of the First's plan." Giles pointed out. "Where as I have no doubt its intention was for the shade of Tara to leave and attempt to break Willow, I'd wager it was planning something more physiological as it were."

Willow looked at her the colour in her face draining more.

"None of which is particularly relevant now though is it Rupert." Sandra cut in noticing the pair of pale witches.

"What?" Giles blinked. "Oh, no, no, not at all." He coughed lightly.

"All it tells us is that the First is evil but not as smart as it wants to be.' Faith underlined coming in from the kitchen where she had been listening. "And we're going to kick its ass." She vowed to both the witches.

"And we have the spell Candice used to create a person, a body." Dawn added the positive standing at Faith's shoulder. "Which means we have a way to make the First fleshy doesn't it?" She looked around hopefully.

"Do we?" Buffy looked at her Watcher. Giles looked down at the spell reading for what felt like an age.

"Come on G man." Faith moved in and put her hands flat on the table. "Speed it up." She hissed at him.

Pulling off his glasses Giles looked slowly up from the book and then straight at Buffy.

"I believe we do." He said his voice a breathless whisper.

"See there you go, you're book saves us all Tara." Faith stood up. "Now I think you too should have a rest. B can you get them whatever they need to relax and some juice." She tried to urge them towards the stairs.

"But it's not as simple as that." Tara began objecting. "Mr. Giles, we will have to work on the spell, rewrite it a little."

"Tara, I can work on that." Zoë spoke up for the first time. "Get it started, get a framework then you and Willow can tinker."

Blue eyes tracked over to the Canadian almost noticing her presence for the first time.

"You... would you?" She whispered her voice suddenly intensely tired and weak.

"Oh course, I can do this Tara. Let me help." She nodded urging Faith to make them move. Faith put her hands on their backs pressing them towards the stairs.

"I am tired." The blonde admitted as her feet began to shuffle forward.

"I need to get you pills." Willow tried to veer towards the kitchen.

"I got it Will." Buffy got up moving to get them as Faith had asked.

"I'll help." Dawn pushed up and hurried after her sister.

"Let me see the spell, I'll start making option notes." Zoë moved up a few chairs closer to Giles.

"Actually Zoë." Sandra pushed up out of her chair holding the book towards Giles. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like a word with you." She met the Canadian's eyes.

"Okay." Zoë made a small noise with the agreement and stood up waiting for her to lead.

Sandra eased out from her side of the table and led the younger woman out through the house to where Piper and Kennedy were still working the SITS.

"Zoë, I want to talk with you about Italy." The Watcher explained her reasons for bringing her out as she leaned against the railing.

"About what exactly?" Zoë questioned.

"About the work you and Miss. Maclay did there." Sandra answered softly.

"About it how exactly?" Zoë looked at the watcher.

"I was wondering what techniques you were taught, what harnessing methods you use, the reason Miss. Maclay was sent here, what her training entailed." Ms. Webster expanded her questions.

"She was sent her because she's an incredibly balanced witch with great power." Zoë gave the simple but honest answer. "As for my teachings, I'm a mediocre witch with apparently more potential than ability. "

"Please don't misinterpret my reasons for asking Zoë." Sandra softened her tone.

"I'm not. You want to know because you need to know what we can do, how you can factor us all into the fight. I'm telling you the truth." Zoë was honest back. "Tara is an amazing witch, I am not. It's not a self-disparaging comment Ms. Webster. It's a fact. I know I can do more but I can't yet find the way to use the power inside me."

"I appreciate your honesty and openness Zoë, thank you." Sandra gave a soft nod. "And I feel sure that you have ability to match your enthusiasm deep inside you."

"I can do this though, modify the spell, Tara can fine tune it." Zoë added. "They tell me I have a flare for the construction not for the execution."

"I don't doubt your ability." Sandra smiled more. "Ah you see, you are the brains and not necessarily the brawn behind the magic. Both are of equal importance." She patted Zoë's arm lightly.

"And I'm here to fight if needed." Zoë nodded firmly.

"I'd let the fighters to the fighting and the thinkers do the thinking if I were you Zoë." Sandra advised cautiously.

"I should work on the spell." Zoë began to move back to the house.

Sandra watched her leave for a moment and then looked out to where Piper and Kennedy marshalled the workouts. With a soft breath she smiled and then slowly turned walking back into the house, there was a lot to be done.

-x-

Buffy closed up the clips on her jacket looking over at Piper who seemed to be trying to decide between a jean jacket and her leather.

"It really doesn't matter what you wear, it might get trashed." She gave the small piece of advice.

"Yeah but come on, look who I'm going with, I have to look good." Piper laughed. "Which do you think?"

"Leather." Buffy pointed at it.

"You sure." Piper slid it on.

"Yeah very sexy." Buffy nodded as she tucked her stake into her coat and then tucked a dagger into her boot.

"I thought I was supposed to look mean and hard and ready to kick ass." Piper struck an imposing pose.

"You do. Sorry, I'm distracted." Buffy admitted.

"Distracted?" Piper crossed to the blonde frowning, "What's wrong baby?"

"Patrol." She looked up. "It's nothing, just getting in the game it's been awhile."

"Would you rather I stay home, cover while you just go out with Faith?" Piper offered softly.

"No, Piper it's not that." Buffy shook her head. "I just don't know what to expect out there."

"Well Giles says that there aren't any vampires or demons out there so, maybe a whole heap of nothing." Piper shrugged. "We could be bored out of our minds."

"Giles could be wrong." Buffy picked up the staff and handed it to Piper. "I know the Watchers mean well but don't trust what they say when it comes to what you're going to fight. It's usually much worse than they make it out to be."

"Hold on, I'm not taking this." Piper looked at the mystical weapon.

"Yes, you are." Buffy pushed it against her chest and then let go knowing Piper would catch it as she moved to the stairs.

"Buffy." Piper pushed after her. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay here? You know I will and I know you're worried about those girls we're not taking with us."

"You need to get out there Piper." Buffy shook her head. "This really isn't about me not trusting you okay. This is patrol." She tried to make her understand.

"Then let me go alone." Piper challenged.

"No." Buffy shook her head. "That is not an option."

"Yes it is, even Giles suggested it." Piper reminded her.

"Giles can be an ass." Buffy pushed up more stairs. "Come on lets get started."

"Buffy." The front door swung open and Kennedy jogged in. "Giles wants to talk to you."

"Why?" Buffy looked at her not happy with the change in plans.

"He says he wants to talk to you." The potential explained.

"Piper, come on." Buffy moved out and towards the other house.

"Piper?" Piper shrugged.

"Chia, Donna, Alice, we're leaving." Owl called the rest of the patrol group to attention.

Buffy turned and was glad to see her finally getting everyone moving. The small troupe moved around to the other house, Kennedy falling in with them.

"Giles what do you want?" Buffy pushed in through the door, asking him instantly.

"We need to talk through some of the changes we have made to the spell." Giles glanced at her. "Hello Owl, ladies." He nodded to them all.

"We're going on patrol." Buffy pointed to the group.

"Yes I know this will only take an hour or so." He explained.

"We don't have an hour." Buffy shook her head.

"Are we going to get this show on the road?" Kennedy hassled.

"We'll discuss the spell when we get back." Buffy nodded that they were and moved back to the door.

"Buffy I am asking you in my discreet way to stay here." Giles pointed out.

"I have to get Faith to go with them then." Buffy relented a little.

"Faith is training the girls here." Giles shook his head. "Buffy Piper is a slayer, she can handle a patrol."

"Giles, kitchen." Buffy pointed at it and stomped in. Giles pushed up and walked slowly to follow her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Buffy hissed at him trying to not let the others hear.

"I'm am trying to get you to concentrate on the spell while Piper takes some of our more skilled potentials on patrol." The watcher replied.

"Yeah her first patrol." Buffy reminded him unnecessarily. "With the First running around."

"She's a slayer Buffy." Giles seemed unmoved.

"Giles, I'm not sending her out there alone. There are three slayers, so there is no reason to do your horrible Watcher send her out to die or fight motto." Buffy shook her head.

"There are three slayers, but we have injured SITs that need watching, those less skilled that are remaining here to train." Giles continued undeterred.

"I'm going with her. Giles the first could be waiting out there with Ubers or more bringers." Buffy pointed out the window.

"We have no way to be sure that the First has any Ubers Buffy, and Piper has shown she can deal with Bringers." Giles folded his arms over his chest.

"You don't know that it doesn't, it sent one after Willow. " Buffy argued.

"It could be one it managed to drag form the Hellmouth before we sealed it." Giles countered.

"Giles what do you expect me to be able to help with the spell?" Buffy looked at him.

"I don't, I expect you to be here to watch over those people here who need you." Giles pointed out.

"You expect me to shove her out there to fight or die." Buffy countered again.

"Buffy, we need to know she's capable." Giles boiled everything down to the basic fact.

"So we let her go out solo and hey if she dies then we know she wasn't capable?" Buffy scowled at him. "I thought you'd learned Giles, I thought you knew that the Council's way wasn't the best."

"In the normal situation of course Buffy." Giles gave a little. "But this isn't normal."

"No it's ten times as dangerous." Buffy pointed out. "Giles I'm not going to watch Piper, I'm going to watch the others. You're right she needs to be out there but she needs a little safety net. She doesn't need to have five other SIT"S lives on her head."

"She's taking the staff that's a safety net." The distant closing of the front door ended his voice prematurely.

"What's going on?" Buffy moved back into the living room.

"Kennedy, Vi and Chia took off." Alice explained. "Piper went after them."

"What? Will these girls ever learn?" Buffy moved to the door.

"Buffy!" Giles called walking back to the door. "Kennedy was only doing as we had asked her to do."

"You set me up." Buffy turned glaring at him. "How dare you? Why is it that you're way is always the best way? Why is it you can do whatever the hell you want because you know best? I'm sick of these games Giles." She snarled at him pulling open the door.

"Close the door Buffy." Sandra ordered her voice steely.

"With all due respect Ms. Webster, kiss my slayer ass." Buffy pulled the door open and moved out slamming it behind her.

"You're slayer lacks discipline Rupert." Sandra shook her head.

"Giles don't let her talk like that." Dawn looked at the older Watcher and then glared at Sandra.

"I'm afraid Sandra is right Dawn, I asked Buffy to stay here." Giles shook her head.

"You also told her to kill me, was she supposed to listen to you then?" Dawn stood up screeching at him. "You're horrible. You're both horrible." She moved back towards the kitchen and back door.

"Dawnster." Xander pushed dup and hurried after the teenager.

"Should we go and get her?" Sandra looked at Giles.

"I know I'm not part of this whole thing but do they teach you Watcher's to be like this?" Zoë asked honestly.

"I beg your pardon?" Giles looked at her.

"We're in a highly tense situation, we are fighting for our lives against a foe that we are not sure we can defeat and the only thing that is going to keep any of us and well the world in one piece is those three slayers." Zoë closed her notebook. "And with all that as fact, all you two seem to be doing is teaching the SITs to deceive them, teaching each of them not to trust the other and on top of that most of the time you talk to them like they are five year olds in your kindergarten class you just found eating paint in the corner."

"Zoë I understand how it could look slightly like that to you from the outside..." Giles objected.

"No, that's exactly how it looks like." She stood up. "And yes I am on the outside so take this opinion with whatever weight you like, but stifling them into submission isn't going to make them behave." She looked at Sandra. "They are slayers, they live and breath fighting and protecting all of us, to be stuffed down and slapped on the ass like a dog who sat on the couch after it was told to stay on the carpet makes them resentful not obedient."

"Once again you're a little out of line." Sandra raised an eyebrow. "You know nothing about what a slayer is."

"And you don't know what it's like to be one." Zoë looked at her. "I don't want to have your job and again this is just an opinion. I'm sure you won't give it much weight." She shrugged and moved to the kitchen. "I'm going to keep working on the spell."

"Well perhaps we should go back to our own houses." Alice looked uncomfortably around.

"No Alice, go and bring the SITs still here into this house, we can keep and eye on you here." Giles contradicted and slowly the young potential moved to obey.

-x-

Zoë clutched the notebook in one hand twirling the pen around her other. She'd come out back knowing the perimeter was up but she wasn't even sure if she cared. She needed some air. Sometimes there was only so much she could take of the two stuffy overbearing watchers and everyone bickering.

Taking a deep breath she held her hand out with the pen focusing on it and managing much to her own surprise to lift it a few inches from her palm.

"Guess I'm getting better." She admitted managing to lift it higher as she took another breath. Slowly the pen began to spin in a slow clockwise turn. "Wow." She watched it and concentrated hoping to make it spin more. Obediently the pen moved faster more.

"Okay I'm on a roll." Zoë grinned and tried to make it go the other direction.

The pen wobbled a little stopping and then spun the other way a little unstably.

"Come on." She encouraged it to stabilize. "I can do this."

However instead of stabilising the pen shook more and then flew upwards out of her hand.

"Shit." Zoë cursed reaching up to try and catch it.

"Oops butterfingers." Stepping out of the dense shrubbery beyond the perimeter a fairly tall, incredibly pretty young woman came into view.

"Holly?" Zoë looked at her completely shocked.

"Hello Zoë." She smiled rather too sweetly.

"What the hell are you doing here? Where is Beth?" Zoë looked into the tree line.

"Oh she's not joined me yet." The young actress shook her head.

"Where is she?" Zoë stepped closer.

"Right now?" The other woman asked.

"Where is she if you're here?" Zoë nodded.

"She's in Manhattan right now." Holly looked down at her nails.

"Oh my God you're not Holly." Zoë felt her blood go cold.

"Not Holly? What makes you say that? Does this light not show my best side?" She flicked strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder.

"How are you doing this? She's not dead." Zoë looked at the First in disbelief.

"Oh aren't I?" Holly raised an eyebrow and pushed up the sleeve of her pretty blue floral shirt to reveal her inner elbows. Zoë looked down at the deep red bruised track marks that bore into her otherwise perfect flesh. "Want to change your mind about anything?" She smirked.

"When?" Zoë tried to hold her dinner down.

"Three weeks ago." Holly shrugged. "100% pure isn't good for anyone."

"Bethany?" Zoë squeaked the name not able to believe that she would have done heroin but not knowing for sure with what she was looking at right now.

"Well you know you have to swing with the lifestyle you live in." Holly shrugged seeming disinterested.

"Show me her." Zoë challenged.

"Why? She left you Zoë." Holly frowned.

"Because I think if she was dead you'd have come as her." Zoë tried to be brave but her voice shook.

"But wouldn't this hurt you more, me the woman she left you for, taunting you." Holly sneered at her.

"No, I don't care about Holly." Zoë shook her head. "Holly was a disaster waiting to happen. I'm sorry she's dead but I don't care about her. Show me Bethany, I don't think you can."

"Perhaps I cant." Holly laughed. "Yet."

"You can't." Zoë underlined more confidently. "Because she's not dead."

"Is that a challenge Zoë?" Holly smirked.

"No." Zoë's answer was a little too quick and sharp. "I mean why would you need to hurt her? She doesn't have anything to do with this."

"But she does have to do with you." Suddenly the missing pen slammed into the ground next to Zoë's foot.

"But I'm nothing." Zoë pointed out honestly.

"Oh you are." Holly agreed quickly.

"I can't even float a pen." Zoë shook her head.

"Maybe not but," Holly's eyes glanced up to the house. "Someone in there thinks a lot of you, believes in you, trusts you."

"I'm the outsider. I'm disposable." Zoë tried to disagree with it.

"Then why don't you dispose of yourself?" Holly shrugged.

"Cause I'm not suicidal." Zoë laughed at the sad attempt. "Is this your best plug at me? Oh go on Zoë off yourself?"

"I didn't for once think of such a thing, I mean more dispose of yourself from this situation." Holly chuckled back. "As in scoot, vamoose, leave."

"Because you'll let me just walk away." Zoë made little walking motions with her fingers.

"Why wouldn't I? You're nothing remember." Holly picked at her nails again.

"Because you're evil incarnate." Zoë offered the reason.

"Wouldn't that suggest I have bigger fish to fry that a pathetic little nothing?" Holly scoffed.

"No that suggest you have to get your kicks somewhere." Zoë smiled. "Including torturing the nothings."

"Oh I like it when people like you show a little foresight A little knowledge. So let me just get this right, you're not going anywhere and you challenged me to bring Beth next time, right? I want to check the details before disappearing off you know." Holly laughed and clapped her hands together.

"No, I didn't challenge you to bring her." Zoë's eyes narrowed. "I challenged you to leave her alone."

"And because I'm evil incarnate I'm going to do that aren't I?" Holly questioned loving the game of words.

"I don't know what you're going to do." Zoë shook her head. "You'll do what suits you, it has nothing to do with me."

"So I can slit your little ex lover's throat and bathe in her blood then can I, can I really?" Holy rubbed her hands gleefully.

"If you touch her, touch one hair on her head I will find a way to destroy you." Zoë moved closer to the apparition. "And you'll wish you'd died like Holly because you wouldn't have known what hit you when I hit you."

"Big words from a nothing." Holly hissed back.

"I'm Canadian, we keep the peace and right now bitch first you're breaking it. Do I have to get my blue hat on and kick your ass around the yard?" Zoë hissed back.

"The truth is nothing, there is ironically nothing you can do to stop me. You or any of your pathetic little friends." Holly stepped back. "Come on out of the perimeter little girl." She beckoned. "Let me show you what I can do."

"Come out of the perimeter?" Zoë stepped right up the boundary. "Oh wait why so you can do something? When right now you can't touch me? You want me to beg for her life? You want me to plea and cry? Would that even make a difference to you?"

"I'd quite enjoy the show." Holly nodded. "Seeing you cry and beg."

"I bet you would and if I thought it would keep her safe I would give you the performance of a lifetime." Zoë admitted. "But it won't."

"True." The First nodded again. "Well I suppose I should be running along, I have a little affair in Manhattan to organise."

"If you go to Manhattan we'll defeat you, you'll give us the opening we need." Zoë challenged.

"Go? Me go to Manhattan." Holly laughed. "Well a holiday would be nice but... I have friends all over the world little nothing." She shook her head. "You might have met a few, wear brown, have no eyes, that kind of thing. Oh and very large sharp daggers."

"I thought those were the ones that the slayers were destroying all the time." Zoë smiled back.

"You can tread on a few dozen ants nothing and there's still a whole hill full waiting." The First began to turn away.

"And we can drop poison in the mound and kill the Queen." Zoë winked at her.

"Yes but by then we will have consumed your English rose." She winked back and then disappeared.

"FUCK YOU!" Zoë screamed at the night that was left in its place.

"Zoë?" Felicity and Alice ran from the house, weapons in hand at the sound of her scream.

"It was here." Zoë tracked back grabbing a sword from one of them. "Fucking son of a bitch." She whacked it into the nearest tree.

"Hey, hey, Maple Leaf what gives?" Suddenly the dark haired Slayer jogged in from the adjacent garden.

"Fucking son of a ten cent Goddamn whore." She hacked at the defenceless tree. "I hate this, I hate this... I hate being nothing."

"Well in a little while you're gonna be wearing that tree branch if you don't calm it down." Faith held her hands out towards the Canadian. "What went on Zoë?"

"It's going to kill her." Zoë went to take another swing and dropped the sword limply. "It's going to kill her and I can't stop it."

"Kill who?" Faith frowned.

"Bethany." Zoë sat down in the grass.

"Zoë?" Tara, dressed in a pair of pale pink pyjamas was suddenly at the back door. "Faith?" She added stepping barefoot onto the grass.

"It's okay Tara, the first was just paying Maple Leaf a quick call." She tried to settle the air as she reached down for the long sword.

"Oh Goddess." Tara took a breath in and rather than retreating back hurried across the cool grass to Zoë's side. "Zoë?" She whispered kneeling down.

"It's going to kill her Tara, Holly is dead... it's going to kill her it said it was." Zoë rubbed her hands over her face.

"Holly's dead? But how? The First didn't..." Blue eyes flared in horror.

"Heroin overdose." Zoë shook her head.

"And it said it was going after Beth?" Tara hardly dare ask the horrible question.

"It said it was going to kill her and bath in her blood." Zoë choked on the words.

"Okay not knowing what the hell you guys are really talking about." Faith leaned on the sword a little. "I'm guessing this Beth chick is the girl who left Zoë for the actress, who I'm guessing is Holly." The dark haired Slayer recapped. "And the First is going to off her."

"Yes." Zoë nodded.

"Tough break." Faith shrugged. "Hell of a way to be taught to stay faithful."

"Get away from me." Zoë snapped at her. "If that's all you can say get away from me."

"What? Woo what the hell did I say." Faith took a step back.

"You think she needs to be taught a lesson by dying?" Zoë looked at her.

"Faith not every can just fall in and out of love, it's not as simple as that." Tara tried to soothe.

"I'm not saying it is." Faith defended. "All I'm saying is there's not a damn thing we can do about it, if they're all apart and single these days is there? Its not as if we can call her cell phone and tell her to get her ass in hiding or better still here so we can keep and eye on her." The Slayer went on. "Strikes me this Beth chose her own path when she left Zoë, what can we do about that?"

"I have her number." Zoë looked at the Slayer as she ranted.

"You have Bethany's number?" Tara looked at the other witch whispering the question softly.

"I bought her the cell phone, she won't have changed the number." Zoë shook her head to the idea. "She can't get the union jack faceplate on any other phone in north America."

"Do you want to call her?" The blond witch asked.

"I phone her and tell her what? The biggest nastiest evil showed up as Holly and told me it's coming to kill you?" Zoë laughed sadly.

"More that you heard about Holly, you were worried about her, maybe suggesting she come here to see you." Tara offered more believable alternatives.

"Do you think she'd come?" Zoë looked at her. "Can we get her here before it gets her?"

"We can try." Tara nodded. "If we find out exactly where she is, we can work out the easiest safest way of getting her here."

"I should go get her number." Zoë nodded back and pushed up. "Thanks Faith." She looked at the dark haired Slayer.

"For pissing you off?" Faith chuckled.

"For making a suggestion wise ass." Zoë stuck her tongue off as she went by.

"You don't think we've got a hope in hell of getting her here safely do you?" Faith chuckled as she did and looked at Tara.

Tara glanced at the house as the door swung closed after Zoë.

"We need to try." She whispered.

"That's not what I asked." Faith carefully clarified.

"I know, but it's the only answer you're getting." Tara pushed up and began a slow walk to the house.

-x-


	20. Chapter 20

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Twenty.**

Zoë pressed the end button on the small cell phone and sat down on the edge of the bed shakily. The conversation had been difficult, Holly indeed had overdosed at a party a few weeks before but luckily Beth hadn't attended so she'd been no where near the fatal drugs that had killed the actress, two others at the party and sent a few more to the hospital.

If the witch had been anywhere near the US most of that time she would have probably noticed heard about it, but between being in Italy in combination that no one in Sunnydale was paying much attention to outside news meant the pretty sensationalized event had gone unnoticed in this corner of the world.

Zoë didn't exactly know how she was feeling now. This whole place was like being in a bubble, she'd almost forgot there was a world outside the Hellmouth. Almost forgot that there was an after to all of this hopefully, an after that included the same feelings and disappointments she'd been dealing with for awhile.

"She's coming." She heard the door open a bit and knew from the soft perfume in the air it was Tara. "She's going to fly into LA and then drive here. I told her to only do it in the daytime, she didn't really question."

"How is she?" Tara asked softly.

"Devastated... Freaked out... Confused about what I was not telling her." Zoë admitted. "But she's coming at least. She said nothing unusual had happened since Holly though so maybe the First doesn't know where she is."

"And how are you?" The blonde's voice was softer still.

"This isn't exactly how I dreamed of us seeing each other again." Zoë put the cell phone on the side table and then sat with her hands in her lap. "Her coming because Holly was dead, the world ending, you know?"

"But you do want to see her again?" Tara checked that making the call had been the right thing after all.

"Of course I do, I tried to not let it see how much hurting her would hurt me, how killing her wouldn't get it anything but I couldn't hide what I feel for her. It knew it could hurt me by hurting her more than it could hurt me by hurting me." Zoë tried to remember what had happened in the backyard. "Tara, it was weird. Why did it go to all this trouble to taunt me?"

"I wish I knew." Tara shook her head. "But maybe it has something to do with why you were sent here in the first place. M wouldn't have sent you if there wasn't a specific reason for it being you, even if you did volunteer." The blonde gave her the warmest smile.

"How am I going to explain all of this too her?" Zoë looked at the blonde witch obviously overwhelmed.

"Slowly, carefully and honestly if you want to." Tara replied simply. "If not you could always call her back and tell her to go to M in Italy, she would make sure she was safe."

"What would you do?" Zoë asked her. "If say it was Willow."

"I'd bring her here." Tara said without question. "If only to be with her if it all does go to Hell." She admitted softly. "But it's different for Willow and I, this is you and Beth. I can't say what is right for you."

"I have to at least try to keep her safe." The Canadian sighed. "I can't leave her out there at its mercy, even if she doesn't love me anymore."

"I know." Tara reached out and put her hand on Zoë's. "When should we expect her?"

"She's taking the flight tonight, arriving early tomorrow morning then she'll drive in. So before lunch hopefully?" Zoë frowned. "Maybe I should have gone to get her at the airport?"

"If you like I am sure Giles wouldn't mind you and one of the slayers going to get her." Tara nodded to the idea.

"I don't want to take one away from here and protecting the SIT's." Zoë shook her head. "This fight isn't about Beth and I."

"Zoë no, you can't go by yourself." Tara shook her head. "If you took the bus then you could take some SIT's with you, call it training out on the field." She chuckled softly.

"I guess I should talk to Faith about it." Zoë nodded. "See what she thinks is best."

"In the morning." Tara nodded. "You should try and rest. It's getting late."

"I can't sleep." Zoë shook her head. "I'll work on the spell, I think there is lots we can do with it." She looked around. "Damn I left my notebook in the yard."

"I'll get it." Tara pushed up softly.

"No, Tara you should be with Willow." Zoë shook her head standing up. "I'm fine, rant over, no biggie."

"Zoë stop it." Tara shook her head. "I am quite capable of going out into the yard and picking up your notebook for you. I'm on battery duty as it is at eleven." She glanced at her watch seeing she only had fifteen minutes left before then.

"Okay. I could meet you down on the couch we can bounce ideas while you charge up the shield?" Zoë offered. "And then I can make us coffee."

"Are you really that energetic?" Tara raised an eyebrow.

"Hey we only got attacked once last night." Zoë smiled. "Okay, okay, I'll try to sleep and if I can't I'll come down and see you okay?" She tried a compromise.

"Better." Tara nodded as she slipped out.

-x-

The yard was nearly pitch black as Tara slipped out into it, the light from the kitchen window only spread to about half the depth of the long lawn. The white spiral bound notebook that Zoë had been using though was clearly visible off near to the final tripwire boundary. The blonde was glad she had taken the time to slip some shoes and a cardigan over her Pj's as she strolled out to retrieve the book.

"Is Maple leaf okay?" Faith questioned from the outside edge of the trip line.

"Goddess Faith you started me!" Tara looked up and shook her head. "What are you doing out here and over the boundary line too? You might be a slayer but that doesn't mean you take unnecessary risks." She smiled brightly.

"I was just checking out how secure it is, we have a few holes. You must have been teasing Red too much when she did the work." Faith laughed and winked.

"Faith!" Tara blushed and then sobered as Faith's words cleared in her head. "Though do we, show me." She added with a frown.

"Here near the trees, there is a break in the fence line." Faith moved over silently. "We could have hordes of Bringers coming in through it and getting to the house." She turned to Tara and then smiled. "Well if they weren't all busy hunting down the new Slayer."

"You don't think they'll go after Piper do you?" Tara looked up at Faith briefly as she examined the uneven fence posts from a distance.

"Naw, I mean they don't know she's out there alone right? Besides they're probably all keeping an eye on us." Faith shrugged. "So I have to ask, is Zoë the girl you, you know, in Italy?" She made a vague gesture with her hand.

"She's not out there alone Faith, Buffy went after her." Tara shook her head and then stalled a bit at the question. "And…" The blonde glanced at the house. "Yes Zoë is." She replied stepping closer to the fence.

"That's cool, I can see you and the Maple Leaf getting along. She's spunky." Faith grinned. "Wait did you say B went? I thought she was pissed at Giles and stayed in?"

"No, I don't think so..." Tara shook her head. "Though I guess she might have gone back to the other house." She frowned slightly. "Everyone asleep at your place?" She glanced along the houses to look at the third in the row; there was only one bedroom light still on.

"Zonked." Faith nodded. "So how is her spell going? How we gonna kick it's ass?"

"Oh." Tara glanced back to where she had started from realising she'd left the notebook on the floor. "I don't know. I'll look when I get back inside, but we'll find a way for sure, you know that." Tara smiled as she quickly moved back and grabbed it before walking over to Faith again. "We can't be the weak link that lets you, Buffy and Piper down can we?" She reached out to pat Faith's shoulder.

"Watch the trip wire Blondie." Faith stepped back away from her abruptly and Tara looked down seeing her ankle was nearly pressing it.

"Willow wouldn't like it if I tripped over that, thank you." Tara smiled again. "So what made you check the perimeter?" She asked as she wrapped the cardigan around her a little tighter. "Did the first's visit to Zoë make you a little wiggy?"

"Yeah, I mean why bother with Zoë? She's nothing special, Hell we don't even know why she's here." Faith shrugged again walking down the perimeter line a bit.

"Faith, she might not be the witch Willow and I are, but she is special, very special, you'd know that if you got to know her." Tara watched her move and then walked after her. "M sent her here for a reason, I trust that, we'll work out what that reason is, I know we will."

"You guys sound as bad as me with this M business, who is M?" Faith questioned looking through the dark at Tara.

"You'd hate her Faith." Tara smiled more. "She's the leader of the training centre I was at in Italy." She explained. "Heavy with the self control, centring and focus approach." She paused for a moment. "Why don't you come inside, have a coffee with me I'm about to take over charging the shield?"

"Naw, I should finish my perimeter sweep." Faith shook her head.

"Want some company? I have ten minutes to kill." Tara offered smiling brighter.

"Yeah come on, you can tell me more about Zoë." Faith nodded beginning to walk the fence line on the outside.

"What do you want to know?" Tara walked with her. "And do you like toying with danger?" She pointed to the trip wire she was walking the other side of.

"I do." Faith gave her a toothy grin. "Anything, like why you think she's special even if she isn't big witch on the block?"

"Oh come on Faith." Tara laughed softly. "You can see she's special, she's warm and caring."

"Yeah but come on what's that going to do against the First and a shitload of Ubers?" Faith cocked her head to one side.

"Not everything is about muscle Faith." Tara objected softly.

"So what did you see in her?" Faith stopped them at the far end of the yard away from the house.

"What do you mean?" Tara tilted her head slightly leaning against the thick trunk of a tree bordering the yard.

"I mean you and Red were broke up and you went for her, had to be something that caught your eye other than the northern drawl and the fact she can drink like a sailor." Faith chuckled. "Doesn't qualify her as your type."

"I didn't go for her!" Tara objected frowning hard. "It wasn't like that." She stopped. "You know it wasn't. You know 'friend' I should hex you for teasing me." She laughed softly. "Or at least chase you or something."

"I am your friend." Faith underlined. "You can tell me anything, you know that right?"

"Thank you." Tara stopped for a moment and looked at Faith, her words sincere. She could see the way that the Slayer was watching and contemplating, it was obvious the First's most recent visit and Piper being out on patrol was worrying her. "You're not settled are you?" She appraised. "Look we could go for a walk if you like, there's a coffee store just around the corner we can free some coffee. I don't have to take over on the couch for a little while, last I checked Andrew was asleep on there anyway."

"Sure that would be great, if you can get outside without setting this off." Faith winked at her.

"It's not a prison Faith." Tara laughed lifting one leg over the trip wire, before stopping. "Oh sorry I didn't mean that." She apologised quickly.

"It's cool, you'd have liked prison, all those girls." Faith grinned at her walking backwards and leading her away from the trip line.

"Faith, do you always turn everything into something verging on the lurid?" Tara shook her head as she walked down the short gravel path that led from the side of the yard to the road beyond.

"It's expected." Faith laughed as she walked down the back alley with the blonde witch. "And come on if you were in prison we both know you'd be that scary quiet girls that the lifers tell stories to the newbies about. You know 'damn that's Maclay, stay away from her, she killed twenty people and that was just the cops that tired to arrest her, spends most of her time in solitary'. Sorta your Hannibal the Cannibal type, too pretty and smart to be your dumbass criminal."

"Are you trying flattery to make up for dodgy comments?" Tara chuckled speeding up her steps to match the pace that Faith set with her long athletic legs. A trip to the store with the dark Slayer was going to be record quick.

"You think calling you a psychopath is flattery?" Faith asked back laughing.

"I was focusing more on the pretty and smart lines actually." Tara shook her head. "You are terrible you know that don't you?"

"I'm just a pussy cat." Faith purred playfully.

"And the vampires are your mice?" Tara chuckled.

"My playthings yes." Faith smiled.

"Poor mice." Tara laughed softly.

"Well that's how it works, eat or be eaten." Faith shrugged and moved closer. "You're incredibly edible you know that don't you?" She whispered to the blonde as they moved into the empty store parking lot.

"Faith!" Tara squeaked and laughed at what she took as a teasing comment. "Behave."

"Why? We both know you're with Red. I'm not talking long-term relationship since we both know the world is going to end. Don't you want to know what you're missing?" Faith stood right toe to toe with the blonde witch first causing her to stop before she brought her down closer to Tara's.

Her surprise at Faith's blatant come on filled the shy part of Tara's brain with fear and apprehension but all of that was overridden as her body screamed at her to notice that with the close words there was no noticeably warm breath accompanying it.

"Oh Goddess, you're not Faith!" Tara took a step back.

"What? Oh my, I was doing so well." The First pulled back and smiled. "What gave me away? The breathing isn't it. No hot, humid breath to wash over your skin."

"You could never be anything close to human." Tara felt anger and fear mix fast in her blood stream the battle between fight and flight raging.

"I know pathetic isn't it? I'm the greatest evil and I can't recreate human life." The First tutted softly at the reality. "And I mean how I would love to recreate this." She slid her hands down Faith's hips. "I thought Buffy was yummy but this body, this must have fun. You can just feel the life trying to flow through her."

"You're sick." Tara backed up a little hearing shuffling feet on the sidewalk some distance away.

"To be sick you must be alive, I'm not alive Tara. I am evil." Faith's face twisted into a snarl. "I suggest you stay close though Blondie, if you stray then my boys will come for you."

"Bringers." Tara whispered despite herself taking a step forward closer to the apparition.

"I wanted to talk to you, they're here to finish the conversation." The First nodded.

"How many?" Tara swallowed.

"More than you can magic through." The First confirmed for her. "So be a good girl and chat with me, it might buy you some time."

"Haven't I told you everything you want to know yet?" Tara's self hatred was obvious. Her she had been babbling on about Zoë, about two of the Slayers being away from the houses and that M was in Italy.

"No, not everything." The mimic smiled.

-x-

"Okay I'm officially complaining." Andrew's voice was a quiet whine and when no one answered him it grew louder. "Hello has everyone forgotten me?"

"Andrew what is your problem?" Willow came to the top of the stairs.

"You'll do, where's the blonde one?" Andrew motioned for her to come to the couch. "I'm so over due for a rest."

"Tara went to check on Dawn. She didn't come back?" Willow came down the stairs.

"Typical forget me." Andrew huffed. "She probably went over there and fell asleep or something. Fell asleep in a bed I might add."

"Stay there." Willow pulled on her shoes and a jacket. She moved to the door and jogged over to the other house pushing her way into it without any hesitation. "Tara?"

"Hey there Red, what's up?" Faith looked up from a game of poker she was playing with Xander at the dining room table.

"Where is Tara?" Willow looked at them obviously growing more panicked.

"Can't help you with that one Red sorry." Faith shook her head just as Zoë came out of the kitchen with a drink and a heat pack.

"Hi Willow." She smiled softly at the redhead.

"Do you know where Tara is?" She checked with the new arrival immediately.

"She was going to pick up my notebook from the backyard and then go take over for Andrew." Zoë explained seeing the serious expression.

"Hey guys we're back." Kennedy announced as she pushed the door open. "Safe and sound."

"Faith, something wrong." Willow turned to the dark Slayer ignoring the SIT's arrival.

"Faith, what are you doing here?" The dark haired potential stopped and looked from Willow to Faith as the Slayer pushed up off her chair.

"What do you mean?" Faith stared at her.

"Because hello just bitching at from across the car park at the store, way to ignore us." Kennedy huffed.

"What?" Willow looked at Kennedy. "You saw Faith at the store?"

"Yeah I figured her and Tara had gone to liberate more coffee." Kennedy felt the hair rise up on her neck. "But they were in this serious conversation so we just came home."

"It's the First." Willow felt her body shake a little. "We have to get to her."

"Stay here Willow." Faith hurried to the door. "Kennedy with me."

"No." Willow shook her head not stopping her move to push past the silent SIT's to the doorway.

"Red come on, having one of you super witches out is bad enough." Faith tried to reason.

"I'm not letting her get hurt." Willow pulled the door open and moved out pushing her body into a quick run.

"Red! Fuck this." Faith took off after her realizing that reasoning wasn't going to help her case. Willow ran to the end line and knowing where all the trip wires and sensors were jumped them heading into the street. "Red, slow down." Faith pushed hard and caught her.

"It's not hurting her." Willow was a wave of flowing red hair as she stalked down the street.

"It can't." Faith reminded as they rounded the corner and they could see the store in the distance. "It has no form."

"But they can." She saw the dozen Bringers that circled Tara and the second Faith.

"Oh fuck." Faith cursed seeing the group.

"Tara!" Willow starting running closer, throwing out her hands and tossing one side of the containment Bringers across the tarmac.

"Willow!" Tara's head whirled around as four bringers jumped from their positions running for Willow and Faith.

Faith kicked two back with a jump flare kick and knocked the third with her fist but the forth ran past her towards Willow.

"Tara." Willow called again waiting until the Bringer came charging at her and then she tucked and rolled clumsily but effectively out of the way.

"Gotta go." The First winked at Tara and disappeared just as a Bringer ran forward and backhanded her to the ground, Zoë's notebook flying out of her hand.

"WILLOW! FAITH!" Piper's voice called out from behind them as the new Slayer rushed into the fight.

"Get to Tara." Willow reached up and struck her bringer with a punch sending him away from her.

In a flash the newest Slayer ran past Faith and Willow towards Tara's prone form, a Bringer towering over the blonde already.

"Oh no you don't." Leaping, she hit the Bringer in the side pushing it well away from Tara.

From out of no where, Buffy ran up and drove her sword into the Bringer that Willow was fighting before she kept going on towards the other minions.

"Piper, behind you." She warned as she threw a flying kick at another one.

"Got it." Piper spun and flashed her fist out knocking it away. Buffy didn't second guess as she moved to slice the sword into one then another Bringer.

"Baby?" Willow reached Tara and knelt down with her. "Are you okay?" She began to pull her lover up to her feet.

"I was so stupid." Tara groaned and got up, bleeding a little from a graze on her knee.

"It was Faith, how?" Willow asked stupidly as the Slayers finished with the rest of the Bringers.

"Because she died." Tara pulled her cardigan around her feeling so exposed.

"We should get back, this could be a diversion." Faith pointed out reaching down to pick up Zoë's notebook from where Tara had dropped it during the fight.

"I'm sorry." Tara dropped her head.

"It's okay." Willow shook her head. "Let's get back home where everyone is safe."

Leaning heavily against Willow, Tara didn't really think as the three Slayers walked them quickly towards the houses to check on everyone else.

"Looks like we got lucky." Faith moved over the intact tripwire to see Zoë and some of SIT's on the front lawn looking worried.

"Is everything okay?" China pushed up from her place.

"Will, get Tara inside." Buffy urged the redhead. Willow nodded and keeping a firm grip on the blonde moved her towards the main house.

"We had a Bringer swarm." Faith explained lightly to the confused crowd. "But we killed them all."

"Come on people lets get some rest." Buffy clapped her hands and watched the girls disperse.

-x-

"Tara really I don't believe it's necessary to make apology pancakes for all three houses." Giles poured two cups of tea as the blonde worked in the kitchen.

"I need to do this." Tara shook her head. "I should have checked, I should have made the logical assumption that the First would use Faith's form against us."

"Tara, please." Giles shook his head. "I think its fair to say no one even contemplated the First doing that before last night."

"Faith thought I was an ass." Tara eased a pancake out of the pan and put it on the pile.

"No, I didn't." Faith appeared in the back door and shook her head. "I thought you got duped like the rest of us, easy mistake."

"You're up early Faith." Giles noted. "I believe this plateful is for you and your household." He nodded to a plate stacked high with pancakes.

"Great." Faith moved over and slid the plate over. "How you doing?" She looked at Tara.

"I was stupid, I'm suffering from post stupid Tara disorder." Tara poured more batter in the pan frowning.

"Yeah well I know I felt stupid when the Mayor showed up and rattled my chain." Faith stuffed pancake into her mouth. "But hey we got to ambush some Bringers so it's cool."

"Cool in a careless idiot got herself into trouble kind of way." Tara flipped her pancake forcefully.

"No, my beautiful girl is never an idiot." Willow came sweeping in and hugged her from behind.

"I was." Tara shook her head. "And I'm sorry." She added slipping away from Willow and hurrying off up to the upstairs bathroom.

"Can you watch the pancakes?" Willow blurted out and hurried up after her. She didn't even wait for either Faith or Giles to move to the stove as she backtracked the hall and went up the stairs as quickly as she could. "Tara?" She followed her to the bathroom and found herself bashing into the unexpectedly locked door. "Tara?" She jiggled the doorknob. "Tara, honey, unlock the door."

"I'll be down in a while." The blonde replied through the barrier.

"Honey, please." Willow knocked again and there came a soft click from the other side of the door. "Tara, what's going on?" She pushed in slowly.

"I let everyone down again." Tara looked up with sad eyes. "Every time I think I'm better, start believing in me…" She frowned. "I get it wrong."

"You are not wrong." Willow shook her head. "Tara baby, it had already came to Zoë, you didn't have any reason to think it wasn't Faith and no one ever thought about it taking her form."

"But I should have just thought about it more, worked out the little things." Tara put her hand flat against the mirror.

"Love it was dark, it was late, you were tired." Willow put her hand on Tara's back.

"I still should have checked." Tara back tensed instantly beneath the redhead's fingers.

"Love look at me." Willow urged her to turn around.

"Why?" Tara didn't turn.

"Because I want you to look at me and see that I don't think you did anything wrong. No one does, this is what the First does, it tricks us. All of us at one time or another." Willow assured her and Tara turned slowly. "Remember it made Owl jump the trip wire, it made Spike kill people, it tried to tell me to kill myself, it made Faith freak out." She summed up.

"I still let you down." Tara whispered shaking her head.

"Tara you're here with me this morning, you didn't let me down." The redhead shook her head firmly. "No one got hurt and we killed a lot of Bringers."

"You were great." Tara smiled just a little.

"So were you." Willow reached forward and hugged her.

"I grazed my knee." Tara leaned her head down onto Willow's shoulder.

"Why don't we clean it and put a bandage on baby?" Willow hugged her tighter.

"I don't think it needs that." Tara shook her head.

"I could kiss it better." Willow breathed out.

"It might be too sore for that." Tara frowned.

"I could kiss other places better than." Willow rubbed her hand up and down her lover's back.

"Please." Tara nodded bringing her hand up to play with long red hair.

Willow slipped her hand around; guiding Tara's face up so she could move her lips down over her lover's kissing her tenderly. Tara's eyes dipped closed as she felt the tension in her shoulders drop slightly her worry melting at the touch of her lover's lips.

Willow concentrated on the soft contact, feeling the way their lips fit together. Tara let her fingers trace back over red hair to rest on Willow's neck as she pressed her body a little closer to the other woman's.

"I love you." Willow whispered parting their lips for a moment a she enjoyed the light massage at her neck. Feeling desire rising inside her she pressed her open mouth back to Tara's. Tara dropped one hand low guiding it lightly around Willow's waist. A little surprised at the change from the light tender kiss her lover had begun kissing her with, to this still tender but desire driven one. "We should go back to our room." The redhead breathed out pressing closer.

"I have to finish pancakes." Tara pulled her head back, drawing in a quick breath.

"They can feed themselves." Willow leaned forward kissing her. "I need you."

"But Willow the house is full and people will be awake." Tara objected weakly feeling her body flare with need as Willow breathed the last three words onto her lips.

"We can be quiet or loud and they can all be horrified, I don't care." The redhead kissed her again. "Tara, please."

"Need me." Tara whispered kissing her hotly.

"Need..." Willow breathed out after the kiss it hitching in her throat. "You."

"Bedroom." Tara slipped her hand into Willow's. Willow smiled broadly as she felt herself pulled across the hall until they were able to safely lock the door behind them. "Tell me more about this need." Tara asked softly as she stepped away from the now locked door.

"I need to make love to you." Willow stepped to follow her.

"Really?" Tara didn't stop until she was at the bed, and then she lowered herself onto the mattress on her back, her hand reaching out to Willow.

"I do." Willow moved over slipping up over her on the bed. "I need to kiss you."  
She leaned her lips down.

Lifting her head off the pillow Tara pressed her mouth to Willow's in a long sensual kiss. The sheer pleasure the kiss brought made Willow press down her body over the blonde's. Tara pressed up in response, her legs sliding a little open so that Willow dropped the short distance to nestle between them.

"I need you so much." Willow settled in place arching her hips down.

"You have me." Tara assured her. "I'm sorry last night I was so distant." She added moving her arms around her lover's body rubbing lightly over Willow's ass.

"It's okay, I know you were upset." Willow shook her head arching more at the touch.

"But upset doesn't have to mean shut Willow out, I think it should mean let Willow help." Tara replied.

"You did, we snuggled and feel asleep." Willow leaned down to kiss her neck.

"You do realise this means I'm more or less confined to a day on the couch. Andrew's not going to be a pretty sight if I don't offer." Tara's hips flexed up as Willow's lips touched her throat.

"I can stay with you." Willow whispered as she kissed up the tender flesh.

"You can try and teach me that baseball game again." Tara laughed as her hips dancing a little from side to side, pushing up to Willow's.

"I'm not that good." Willow laughed lightly though her body pressed back to each jump.

"You are good, the only thing I'm better than you at on that machine is fishing, though why that should be I really don't know." Tara laughed softly back let her fingers wander down to the edge of Willow's shorts on her thighs.

"You know how to..." Willow groaned as Tara's hand moved. "Charm the fish."

"Luring them with my charms huh." Tara teased her fingers up the tight fitting sleep shorts to graze over the back of Willow's thighs.

"Mmmmm or maybe that's me." Willow tipped her head back a bit. "I'm distracted by your charms."

"No, you're not." Tara shook her head rubbing her hands lightly back and forth stopping at the soft crease of Willow's curved butt cheeks each sweep.

"Aren't I?" Her voice visibly hitched.

"No you're distracted by me generally." Tara chuckled again.

"Because I'm in love with you." Willow pressed harder with her hips.

"Mmmmm." Tara's reply was postponed as the blonde moaned lightly in pleasure at the tighter contact. "I'm in love with you too." She breathed out hotly.

"I love you so much." Willow reached up trailing her fingers down Tara's cheek. Tara turned her head and softly kissed her lover's fingers.

"I know." She admitted her voice full of conviction.

Willow breathed out as she leaned down kissing her again deeply, her tongue playing over full lips. Very slowly Tara eased her lips open, her body pressing up her hand sliding up to cup Willow's ass.

At the invitation Willow's tongue slid just a little inside her lover's warm mouth, skimming over smooth teeth as she pressed back into Tara's hand. This time her long fingers pressing into warm skin. Opening her lips a little further Tara slid out her tongue encouraging Willow deeper, and when she'd gotten what she wanted Tara closed her lips and sucked lightly on Willow's tongue her hands tightening on the redhead's small shapely butt cheeks.

A moan came back as Willow's body pressed back against Tara's hips. Releasing her lovers tongue, Tara breathed heavily for a moment. She began a slow hard circle up against Willow's body. Willow moaned again as she pressed back down into the move.

"I want you Willow." Tara let her breath come hot and heavy.

"I so want you." Willow panted back.

"Oh yes." Tara increased the speed of her rotating.

"You feel so amazing." Willow pressed with her.

"Do I?" Tara asked her voice full of surprise and passion.

"You always do." Willow vowed leaning down to kiss her neck again.

"Always?" Tara squeezed Willow's ass at the same time.

"Always." Willow licked up around the blonde's earlobe.

"Ohhh Willow." Tara groaned turning her head for Willow to lavish her ear. Willow licked around again before she sucked lightly on the lobe. "Mmmmm." Tara closed her mouth and moaned in soft delight pressing her hips tighter urging the redhead to lick and suck harder. "Touch me." Tara panted softly.

Willow continued to tease her ear as she moved her hand over sliding it up under her lover's shirt to rest her full palm over one warm breast, massaging the ample swell.

"Oh yes." Tara whispered her pleasure at the move.

"I love the way you feel." Willow whispered hotly into her ear as her thumb ran over her hard nipple.

"I love the way you make me feel." Tara admitted her upper body arching.

"How do I make you feel?" Willow breathed hotly.

"Hungry, hot, aching inside." Tara whispered loving as she could close her eyes so that her skin was alight with Willow's touch and her ears were filled with their passionate words.

"Mmmmm." Willow groaned pressing down harder with her hips as she licked down her lover's neck, pressing up the material of her shirt. Soon she had it high enough to close her lips over the nipple she was teasing.

"And how do I make you feel?" Tara groaned and rolled her hips up.

"Like I want to kiss every inch of you." Willow licked her tongue around and around the peak.

"Even though sometimes I'm..." Tara began but was stopped by a wave of pleasure.

"Beautiful." She sucked again and then swirled her tongue. "Sexy."

"You're biased." Tara groaned louder, whimpering slightly as her body melted a little more.

"Mmmmm no, it's the truth." Willow moved to suck and lick the other nipple.

"We should have got undressed." Tara chuckled as much as her excitement would let her.

"Too late now." Willow kissed over the blonde's creamy stomach.

"You're just going to drive me crazy and undress me as you go are you?" Tara moaned her body arching against the redhead's lips.

"Maybe." Willow teased moving her hands to the tie at the top of the blonde's skirt.

"Maybe?" Tara repeated the word, her voice a hot whisper.

"Maybe I won't undress you." She kissed lower pressing her mouth against the material that covered between Tara's legs.

"Oooooohhhhh!" Tara pressed her hips up against Willow's mouth.

"Mmmmm." Willow began pushing the skirt up more. "You had to wear the complicated skirt didn't you?'

"I wasn't thinking." Tara shivered with anticipation as she felt her legs fully exposed. Willow smiled as she pushed it up further and pressed her lips down to the blonde's panties. "Sorry love, next time... Ahhhhhhh!" Tara groaned again mid apology. "I can put on the wrap around when we're done." She relaxed again against the mattress.

"Mmmmm too late." Willow pressed her tongue against the material swirling it over Tara's centre.

"You know you know exactly how to touch me." Tara wiggled a little.

"Because I love you." Willow pressed a bit harder as the material soaked through with sweet wetness.

"Do you know how difficult snuggling on the sofa with you is going to be after you have done this?" Tara moaned again pressing her hips directly up and down against Willow.

"But that makes it fun." Willow peeled back the ruined material breathing in the intoxicating scent of her lover before she pressed her lips back, sliding her tongue along the edges of swollen lips.

"Vixen." Tara pressed her head back and her hips up, breathing harder as the direct contact made her tingle.

"Vixen?" Willow placed slow kisses up one side and then the other, sucking lightly on the edge of excited flesh.

"Yes, teasing me, with all this lovely licking and touching, and then admitted you're going to be deliberately sexy all day long." Tara pointed out her breathing more erratic.

"Mmmmm yes." Willow slowly dragged the tip of her tongue down the full length of her body.

"Ohhh baby!" Tara arched harder, her body coming up on her heels a bit.

Willow moaned and pressed in more as she repeated the long move. She did this a few times before she finally pressed in fully, just catching the tip of her tongue off Tara's centre.

"AhhhhhHHmmmmmmmWillow." Tara bit her lip lightly, her hips pressing up higher.

"Yes baby?" Willow breathed out against hot flesh.

"More please, don't stop kissing me, touching me." Tara panted desperately. Willow slid her tongue in quickly, directly sliding in wide licks over the sensitive spot. "Yes, oh Goddess Willow yes." She curled one hand lightly in the bed sheet.

Willow eagerly continued in the same spot not wanting to tease anymore. Moving her other hand Tara drew it over Willow's hair, lightly, not putting any pressure on it at all, just caressing over it with soft long strokes. Feeling her need for more pressure Willow closed her lips sucking down on the hard flesh under her lips.

Unable to resist tightening her grip on her lover's head just slightly, Tara pushed her hips up higher pulling them around in a soft circle, moaning low and heavy. Willow kept up the hard pressure letting Tara move against her.

"Oh please Willow, a little harder." Tara breathed out.

Willow grunted her agreement as she sucked harder, using her fingers to spread open wet lips so she could press her lips closer. Tara's smooth hip circling changed into a more staggered push against Willow mouth making Willow fight to keep her lips in place, flicking the flesh she'd caught with her tongue.

"Goddess baby I'm..." Tara's back arched harder.

A groan of encouragement sounded as Willow was forced to release her lips to breath but she slid her fingers around flicking over the flesh she released.

"AHHHHH! Willow, Willow, Willow, baby, aaaaaaahhhh!" Tara's hips dropped suddenly and then pushed up over and over in a hard fast staggered rhythm.

Willow hung on panting as she licked her tongue over her fingers as Tara's body moved. Unable to talk anymore Tara just moaned and whimpered her immense pleasure as her body let go. Jumping and jerking erratically Tara wouldn't have been able to tell you how her exploding body had been responding to the hard orgasm, before slowly she found her body settling down back onto the mattress. Tara panted exhaustedly as Willow slowed her tongue and then finally moved up.

"So I'm a vixen?" The redhead grinned kissing her on the cheek.

"Oh my beautiful Willow, yes, yes you are." Tara panted still.

"I don't think you were supposed to agree." The redhead laughed lightly.

"How could I not, you can be such a tease." Tara managed to lift one hand to run over Willow's cheek.

"Mmmmm true." Willow leaned her head on Tara's shoulder listening to her heart.

"Still beating?" Tara checked laughing softly.

"Fast." Willow nodded resting her hand on Tara's stomach. "But I love the sound of it."

"Well I can't think why it would be fast." Tara chuckled weakly, she closed her eyes feeling the aftershocks spiking through her body.

"I can." Willow smirked to herself resting her chin lightly on one breast. "You still thinking wrap around skirt?" She winked as blue eyes opened again.

"Could you keep your hands out of it all day?" Tara challenged cheekily.

"Nope." Willow shook her head being honest.

"Then don't you think I should wear jeans instead maybe?" Tara offered the next choice.

"Baby you know what you're like in jeans." Willow teased. "Will you be able to last the whole day?"

"What are you suggesting/" Tara slapped her lover's thigh lightly, pulling Willow's leg up her body a bit so she could leave her hand there.

"You're a vixen too." Willow laughed snuggling into the blonde's body.

"Willow!" The blonde blushed. "I am not."

"You are too missy aroused with the jeans seam." The redhead grinned.

"So what should I wear?" Tara smiled knowing that her lover knew her too well to argue.

"Nothing." Willow leaned up and kissed her.

"I'll be on the couch!" Tara objected her blue eyes sparkling.

"Mmmmm your wrap around." Willow smiled and settled her cheek against Tara's breast again.

"Sweetie, why does it feel like you're settling down for a nap?" Tara asked snuggling herself into the mattress and sliding her hand over Willow's arm.

"My happy place." Willow snuggled closer and closed her eyes.

"It is early, and we didn't sleep so great." Tara reasoned that it would be okay to stay there, at least for a little while.

"Exactly." Willow squeezed her slightly and closed her eyes.

-x-

Faith led everyone through a group series of moves and poses, testing everyone's general muscle strength and balance.

"Come on." She urged them when they started to tire. "Just a couple more." She kept doing front kicks and made sure they followed.

"Are you sure you slayers aren't robots?" Felicity tried to keep up the pace but was floundering as her wound hampered her.

"Yeah you know like transformers, robots in disguise." Beatrix laughed softly.

"Yeah we are. But hey we have something awesome for lunch so come on then more." Faith encouraged them all.

"Lunch, great I'm starved." Chia grinned dropping out of anything that remotely resembled a ready stance.

"Not yet, I want ten more front punches." Faith called them all to keep going.

"Slave driver." Felicity mumbled but winked at the dark haired Slayer.

"Pick it up Flick." Faith urged them.

"Hey I'm injured." She pointed to the bulky dressing laughing softly.

"See this." Faith held up two fingers and rubbed them together. "World's smallest violin just for you, you might be injured but I want all you got. Either that or you're on injured list and no more sword fun for you."

"She's got your number Flick!" Beatrix laughed

Felicity turned and poked her tongue out at the other SIT when suddenly the air was filled with an ear splitting explosion. A plume of black smoke mushroomed up into the air from a short way off in the distance. The noise was tripled in its sound by the eerie quiet of the deserted city.

"In the house, double time, double time." Faith began waving at them all to hurry indoors as she looked to the distance. She kept her eyes on the tree line waiting for another surprise attack but everything after the initial bang was eerily quiet.

"B! We got action." She yelled to the blonde as she followed the SIT's in.

"What the Hell was that?" Buffy questioned as she came running.

"Did the apocalypse start already?" Anya poked her head out of the kitchen. "Why didn't anyone tell me we were to expect it today?"

"I don't know but we better go check it out." Faith nodded moving to pick up the shotgun she'd taken out of the hotel. "Birdy gets house watch, where is she?"

"If it helps, I'm not picking up anything wiggy in the magical dimension." Tara looked up from her place on the couch. "Are you sweetie?" She glanced at Willow who was beside her.

"Nothing." Willow agreed.

"Could have been anything, maybe a minor explosion? Something mechanical that needs to be maintained but since no one is here." Xander offered a harmless reason.

"Sorry guys, was just working on staff manoeuvres." Piper ran in carrying the still extended war staff.

"B and I are going to go check it out, you got house watch. Keep that with you."

Faith nodded at her handing Buffy a sword. "Ready?"

"Shouldn't some of us come with you?" Kennedy argued as she came in after Piper to hear the plan.

"We don't know what this is." Faith shook her head. "Could be a ruse to flush SIT's out. We're just doing some recon, then we'll be back."

"Exactly so stay over at your house for protection in case, it's better that we keep the main group assembled and at their posts." Buffy backed up Faith's reasoning. With a reluctant nod Kennedy moved back outside towards her post. "If things get crazy, don't try to be a hero." She crossed over to Piper and briefly put her hand on her arm.

"You got it." She winked at her lover.

"Let's go." Faith was at the door and stuffed some extra shells in her pockets before she cocked the shotgun she was carrying.

"Is that a shotgun?" Buffy said hurrying to grab a double-headed axe instead of the sword Faith had given her.

"Yeah, if this isn't Bringer I want something universally intimidating." Faith grinned.

"I'm not even going to ask." Buffy shook her head and hurried out of the door.

-x-

"What's going on?" Zoë came almost tumbling down the stairs a few moments later. "I was meditating then something... what's going on?" She questioned Willow and Tara looking panicked.

"Zoë." Tara took Willow's hand without thinking about it. "We don't know, Faith and Buffy have gone to find out."

"We were out in the yard and there was this big explosion." Beatrix filled in. "Plumes of black smoke, it was kinda cool."

"Oh God." Zoë irrationally went to look out the front window. "It's got to be her. She should be here already." The Canadian panicked more as she looked at the clock on the mantle. "I have to go look for her." She stated to everyone and then moved to the door.

"Zoë, Zoë wait." Tara pushed up from her place.

"Hey sorry there Zoë, but no go." Piper moved swiftly to stand effectively barricading the door with her tall, strong frame.

"Beth is out there, get out of my way." Zoë looked at her standing about eye to eye with the tall Slayer and not showing that she felt one ounce of intimidation.

"Sit down Zoë." Piper's voice dropped a little as she pulled herself up to stand a tiny bit taller. "If Beth's out there or has anything to do with it, Buffy and Faith will find her."

"Get out of my way." Zoë stared back at her harder. "You're 'I'm a big Slayer stare' isn't going to work on me."

"Zoë, I get it okay, you're worried." Owl tried the calm approach. "I would be too in your shoes, but think about it. Buffy and Faith are out their looking for her and they are the two people I'd want out there fighting for anyone I loved."

"Owl, I said get out of my way." The Canadian's eyes narrowed and Owl flashed a quick look at Tara hating the idea that this might get physical. The last thing she wanted to have to do was risk-injuring Zoë if she got too forceful about leaving.

"No one is leaving." Owl underlined gently.

"You're wasting my time!" Zoë flashed her hand and before the Slayer or any of the witches could react, Owl felt a tight grip slide around her body constricting her tightly before she was pushed over out of the hallway and to the other end of the living room against the far wall. Not even watching what she had done the Canadian opened the door and ran out of it

"Fuck me." Piper cursed hard and struggled for a few seconds before she had full control over her gross motor functions. "I thought she was a crappy kinda witch?" She scowled at Tara and Willow as she scrambled towards the door and wrenched it open. By the time Piper managed that task, Zoë was in one of the cars near the front of the house and had peeled off showing that race car driving was another of her hidden talents as the vehicle turned the corner accelerating into the turn.

"Oh you can't leave." Anya piped up helpfully making Piper look back at her. "Faith and Buffy would be very pissed if you left and Bringers came and ate us."

"Bringers aren't cannibals, and I'm not going anywhere." Piper growled and slammed the door shut turning back to look at Willow and Tara. She blew up into her hair.

"Can she find her?" Willow looked at Tara.

"Could you find me?" Tara replied softly, not wanting to think too much about Zoë's display of magic.

"Yes." The redhead nodded.

"That's your answer." Tara nodded and urged Willow to come back to the couch with her.

-x-

Faith levelled the shotgun as they approached the street where the plume of smoke rose. It hadn't taken them long to track the location of the explosion and the fact that it was only ten blocks away made the dark Slayer very uneasy. In about the middle of the street there was a car wash and impeded into the side brick wall of the building was a car. The flames from the wreckage explaining the continuing plume of smoke they were following.

"Don't look good." She moved closer to the flame-engulfed car trying to look inside but not able to see anything through the burnt window. "Out of town plates." She pointed to the back.

"Tell me I'm imagining that is a Bringers dagger." Buffy pointed with the axe head to a spot by the burning wreck where a glimmer of flame sparkled off metallic blade in the gutter.

"You're not." Faith shook her head. She moved as close as she could, straining to see inside. "Definitely someone in there, but they're dead." She relayed frowning at the burning outline slummed in the front seat. "Probably the impact." She looked to where the front of the car was crumpled violently.

"Trying to get away?" Buffy looked at the skid marks on the road. "Or did something force it into that wall?"

"Could be both." Faith shrugged. "Far as we know Bringers don't drive so I go with forced off while trying to bolt."

"Are you thinking who I'm thinking?" Buffy attempted to get closer to the burning shell but was forced back from the heat.

"Yeah, and I'm also thinking we should swing by the hospital and get some sedative." Faith was harshly honest. "Because Maple Leaf is going to go postal."

"And thus begins the huge guilt trip because I refused to let her and a group of us go get Bethany." Buffy shook her head.

"B, this is the exact reason we couldn't. She got ran off the road by Bringers, screams big honking set up." Faith tried to make her see the truth. "First must have sent a shit load of them to intercept her, probably expecting us to be here."

"She was an innocent Faith, from what I gather a pretty little English girl, without much of a clue about how big and bad the real world is." Buffy scowled slightly, not at Faith but at her own inner turmoil.

"I'm not saying I'm happy B, I'm fucking pissed off." Faith picked up the hot blade and threw it into the brush.

"We should get back to the house, there's nothing to see here." Buffy turned

"Yeah." Faith sighed swinging the gun over her shoulder.

"You gonna tell her or am I?" Buffy sighed as they began their retreat.

"I think we should get Tara to do it." Faith answered honestly. "They know each other more, she's going to need all the support she can get."

"Good point." Buffy nodded. "Then we keep her away from any and all black magic books and sharp objects, agreed?"

"Agreed." Faith sighed again. "Fuck every time we get a break it beats us down."

"In a funny way, this means were getting somewhere though, right?" Buffy's heart felt heavy as they walked on.

"And whatever Zoë was doing she must have been doing good or it wouldn't bother messing with her." Faith added.

"Exactly." Buffy nodded. "Its clever Faith." She frowned hard as she made the appraisal.

"Which means we got to patch Maple Leaf together and get her to finish. Tara said she was good with the spell work." Faith pushed on their out loud tactical thinking.

"Yeah, you're right." Buffy nodded. "God how mercenary are we sounding?" She glanced at Faith with troubled hazel eyes.

"Look B I know it's shit but I promise we'll find her the best crazy house if we have to when it's over, right now whatever it is she can do we need her to still do it." Faith was blunt. "Bottom line we don't beat this what she's lost won't matter."

"We're going to beat it." Buffy shook her head. "Come on lets go get the worse day of Zoë's life started, she deserves to know." She picked up their pace.

-x-

Piper dropped her ready stance when she saw the two Slayers coming up the front walk. Glancing at the clock she wasn't sure if them returning so quickly was a good sign or a bad one. She hung back as Faith pulled open the door and with Buffy slipped inside.

"You okay?" She asked instantly checking Buffy over quickly but obviously for any injuries.

"I'm not hurt." Buffy shook her head. "Where's Zoë?" She asked looking at the witches on the couch.

"Ah yeah well I was just about to do my I didn't do as good as you report." Piper frowned at her lover.

"We found Beth's car." Faith filled in plopping down on the sofa obviously upset.

"Oh Goddess no." Tara looked at her shaking her head as the reason for Faith's mood became clear.

"Looks like the Bringers forced her off the road into a wall." Faith looked down.

"The explosion was the car." Buffy clarified somewhat unnecessarily. "It drove into the side of Quickie Car Wash at a high speed."

"And she didn't..." Tara felt herself go pale.

"It's still on fire, when it stops we can try to get her out and well bury her." Faith offered and leaned back defeated.

"Oh Goddess." Tara pushed off the couch and started to pace the room as her own emotions struggled to stay in check. Willow went very pale as she sat there in disbelief.

"You guys are sure right?" Piper checked needing to know that there was no other option.

"Out of town plates, Bringers knife nearby, burning body in the car." Faith nodded. "As sure as we can be."

"Zoë will be back soon, we need to..." Piper stopped and frowned, accepting now the reality of what they needed to deal with. "Wait didn't you see her?" She asked confused. If Beth had been in the car, then that is directly where Zoë would have headed according to the witches.

"What do you mean Zoë will be back soon? Where the fuck did she go to?" Faith stood up angrily.

"See prior reference to me not going as well as you guys." Owl pointed out. "She left, to find Beth is it?" She looked to see Tara nod she'd gotten the girl's name right.

"It's not Owl's fault, she used magic." Anya pointed out.

"Magic?" Buffy stared at Willow.

"She..." Willow made some motions with her hands. "She moved Piper out of her way, it was all too fast for her to do anything to stop Zoë. We didn't know what she was doing 'till she was in the jeep and gone."

"Great!" Buffy hissed quietly.

"I'm sorry Buffy." Owl apologized quickly.

"We need to get to her, the Bringers are going to be out there waiting for her." Faith moved back to the door.

"Right." Buffy clapped her hands together.

"I want to go, she left on my watch." Piper pointed out.

"I should go too." Tara broke from her pacing.

"No." Willow stood up objecting immediately.

"Look just I'll go, I can take the bike." Piper offered trying to stop all the confusion.

"Buffy, you stay here keep the witches in place. Birdy and I will go." Faith outlined a plan.

"Go, go where?" The front door slid slowly open as Zoë stepped into the house asking the question immediately.

"Zoë." Buffy breathed out seeing her.

"Zoë." Tara said softly moving across the room towards her.

"Everyone this is Beth." Zoë pulled back a bit to reveal a small petite blonde woman hovering in the door. The view of Beth made everyone including Tara stop in place. "Bethany Wallace." She elaborated guiding her inside before turning back to pick up the luggage.

"Bethany but..." Tara frowned in confusion for just a second before hurrying forward lightly taking the smaller woman's hand. "I'm Tara." She smiled as sweetly as she could manage.

"I… I've heard about you." The soft-spoken English accent just barely breathed out from soft bow lips.

"Yeah this is Tara." Zoë smiled. "That's her fiancée Willow and Buffy Summer, Faith, Piper but well everyone calls her Owl, Anya." She went around the room.

"I'm afraid I won't remember any of your names until I've hear them a few more times." The small woman said apologetically.

"That's okay, there's so many of us." Willow assured her instantly.

"Do you... do you all live here?" Beth looked around a little bemused.

"I have a lot to explain." Zoë admitted. "Why don't I show you my room and you can get settled?" She smiled hoping everyone would stay quiet for a moment.

"Oh, yes okay." Beth nodded. "It was nice, meeting you all and everything." She smiled at the group.

"Is everything okay?" Zoë made the quick check when everyone just stared at her.

"Everything's fine Maple Leaf." Faith nodded breaking the stale air. "Go get her settled in."

Zoë nodded and picked up the suitcase leading Beth back outside.

"I'm learning more and more not to underestimate the power of those with the mojo." Owl admitted showing her shock as she put her arm around Buffy.

-x-

"Everyone seemed very…" Beth paused quietly as Zoë opened the door to the other house for them and led her inside. "Serious."

"I have a lot to tell you." Zoë admitted again leading the blonde up to where she was bunking. "But it's sorta going to make us all sound insane so I think maybe we need to get you settled and rested okay?"

"Whatever you say." Beth nodded standing in the door way to Zoë's room, looking tiny. She'd dropped at least twenty pounds since the Canadian spellcaster had last seen her and her long blonde hair had been cut short into her neck and around her ears.

"Do you want anything?" Zoë asked quietly moving to bring her suitcase and other bag in and closed the door behind them.

"To rest, you know how travelling disagrees with me." Beth pulled the three quarter length black leather jacket she wore closer around her.

"I could get you some tea and a heat pack." Zoë moved over and encouraged her to give up the jacket before she guided her towards the bed. Beth shrugged off the over sized coat to reveal a soft brown peasant top underneath to go with the soft brown suede pants "So tea?" Zoë checked before she guided her over pulling down the top blanket so that she could crawl inside and get warm.

"I don't want to cause a problem, be a pain, you know?" The English girl frowned.

"Beth, you're not. You're exhausted, let me take care of you." The Canadian offered softly.

"Thank you." Beth replied in a whisper as she pushed off small flat shoes and slipped between the sheets.

"It's going to be okay now." Zoë tucked her in and rubbed her hand over her ex's. "I promise."

-x-

Tara delicately knocked on the door not wanting to awake the person possibly sleeping behind it as she balanced the lunch tray in front of her. Zoë had said she'd already tried to bring up lunch, but there was just something inside Tara's breeding that made her have to try again before everything was packed away after the mini slayers had filled up for a few hours.

"Hello?" The soft English voice called from behind the door.

"Hello Beth, it's Tara. I was hoping to persuade you with some lunch." Tara offered trying to sound friendly.

"Actually I'm not hungry, but thank you." Beth pulled open the door and stood leaning on it as she looked out to the taller blonde.

"I could leave this up here for you, in case you want to nibble at it. With everyone running around it might make give you a better chance to settle in." Tara tried again seeing how thin the English girl was, much thinner than any of the pictures Zoë had shown her.

"I wouldn't want to spoil good food, I would imagine that with all these people here you have a tough time keeping them all fed." Beth smiled a little.

"No, Faith went on a big grocery run, we're fully stocked." Tara assured her.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, but why is Zoë here? Why are any of you here, when quite frankly it seems that no one else is?" Beth moved a few things so that Tara could put the tray down.

"Zoë hasn't explained that?" Tara tried to keep her smile.

"Zoë's not really spoken to me, just offered me drinks and snacks." The small blonde sighed.

"Oh." Tara turned to see the fallen look. She watched for a minute observing the woman's slumped shoulders and distant eyes. "I think she's just a little overwhelmed to actually have you here. She's missed you... a lot." She added softly.

"I missed her too." Beth put her hands together softly and wandered across the bedroom to the window, looking out of it frowning gently at the sight of Faith working with a small group of girls on the back lawn. "But I knew she'd never go if I was still with her."

"Never go?" Tara brain perked up at the wording.

"Her mother wanted her to travel, especially to this centre in Italy, but we were happy, she wasn't ever going to even think of leaving me to pursue some crazy travelling notion." Beth sunk down on a small chair by the window.

"Did she tell you what the centre was for?" The blonde witch sat on the edge of the bed on the far end.

"No, Zee used to just say it was something she didn't need, that it wasn't a part of her she needed to focus on." Beth shook her head again. "Her mother said it wasn't something she could ignore."

"I know what it's like to let someone you love go to try and help them." Tara nodded softly.

"Oh I didn't mean to make me sound all selfless, I wasn't, I did leave Zoë to go with Holly on her filming tour, but... it wasn't what Zoë thought, not initially." Beth frowned.

"I'm sorry about Holly." Tara admitted trying to be sensitive.

"So am I." Beth's head dropped lower and her eyes filled with tears. Tara felt an uncomfortable silence fill the air for a long few moments. "How is Zoë?" Beth asked quietly, breaking the stillness.

"She's..." Tara looked up trying to weigh her words. "Doing her best."

"I hurt her terribly didn't I?" Beth sighed despondently.

"She loves you, I think you above anyone know what that means for Zoë." Tara didn't agree or disagree.

"But she went to Italy didn't she, it's where you two met?" The smaller woman looked at Tara.

"Yes, she was there until about two weeks ago." Tara nodded.

"And how did she do?" Beth asked sitting up a little.

"She did well, very well. She has amazing potential." The blonde witch admitted easily. "She just has trouble focusing on it, but even that she's been improving."

"So she's good at whatever this is?" Beth shifted around more to look at Tara. "I mean I don't really know what it is, I was thinking maybe art or something, being Italy and all."

"You never asked her about it?" Tara sidestepped answering.

"Oh no I did." Bethany shook her head. "But she used to tell me it was 'silly' and childish."

"You should ask her about it, I'm sure she wouldn't say the same thing anymore." Tara admitted.

"I would if she was talking to me." Beth laughed sadly.

"She's a little overwhelmed having you here, worried that you don't love her anymore." Tara questioned wanting to know where things stood.

"Oh." Beth turned away again frowning.

"I'm sorry Beth, this probably really isn't any of my business." Tara shook her head and stood up. "It's just with everything going on, you don't want to waste time waiting for her to come to you."

"What is going on?" Beth turned and looked up at her.

"I'll tell Zoë to come up and explain it to you, it's really something she should tell you." Tara nodded as she moved and pulled the door closed behind her.

Walking quickly and quietly down the stairs, Tara slipped into the almost empty dining room in the larger house. It was empty aside from Zoë who was sat at the end of the table, her feet up on the large oval table.

"Hey there." She said softly.

"Hi." Zoë looked up from the spell book.

"Making any headway?" Tara strolled over and pulled a chair out, resting on it.

"Some, as soon as I find something then I find a kink to work out. But I'm getting there." Zoë admitted as she tucked a pencil behind her ear.

"No one said you had to work on it on your own, I mean I am sure Willow or I can help out." Tara pointed out. "Unless it's proving to be a useful distraction." She added softly looking up.

"You know me I keep most of the links up here." Zoë tapped her head then looked into blue eyes. "Why would I need a distraction?"

"Because of a tiny English girl." Tara glanced briefly to the stairs.

"I could lie and say no but yes a little." Zoë sighed and closed the book. "I just... I don't know where to start, what to say, I don't know anything."

"I didn't know she didn't know." Tara reached out a finger and drew small circles over the thickly dusted cover of one of the books on the table.

"Well how do you tell someone you're a witch?" Zoë laughed sadly.

"You just said it to me." Tara pointed out.

"Tara, you're one too." She explained.

"Yes I am, but Beth doesn't exactly seem the type to order a bonfire or put you on a ducking stool." The blonde smiled.

"No, but it's not just that anymore. There are the slayers, the potentials, the Hellmouth, the fact we're facing the first evil." Zoë shook her head.

"So what are you going to tell her?" Tara asked, not in challenge just softly, concerned.

"I have no friggin clue." Zoë chuckled putting the book down.

"How does it feel, having her here?" Tara leaned back in her chair lightly.

"I don't know, it feels good to be close to her but I don't know. It's not the same as it was before. She's not mine anymore." The Canadian sighed heavily.

"Then why is she here?" Tara questioned gently.

"To protect her, Tara I told you what the First said." Zoë looked at her friend. "I couldn't just leave her out there to die."

"I know why you want her here, but why is she here, she didn't have to come." Tara pointed out.

"I want her here because I love her, you know this." Zoë pushed up picking up the book again absently.

"You're not listening Zoë." Tara shook her head. "I know you love her, I know you want her where you can keep her safe, I asked why you think she came? She's a full grown independent woman Zoë, why did she pack up her things jump on a plane, rent a car and drive here just because you said so?"

"Because..." Zoë tried to answer but couldn't come up with one. "I don't know."

"Don't you think you should ask her?" Tara offered softly.

"Maybe because I'm afraid of what she's going to say?" Zoë admitted.

"She doesn't look too frightening to me." The blonde witch smiled.

"I'm not afraid of her." Zoë laughed lightly. "Tara, what do you think she's going to say when I go on about all of this? She's probably going to think I'm fit for the mental."

"I don't know." Tara admitted. "But I do know she needs someone, you, to talk to."

"Okay." Zoë sighed. "There was one thing I did need help with. The spell keeps referencing something." She opened the book and pointed out the section. "I keep wondering if there is something in M's book to explain."

"Well why don't I go back to the main house and start some searching with Willow?" Tara offered. "I could take everything you have so far." She offered to relieve the Canadian of her workload.

"No, no, I have something I want to try with the other stuff. It's just that sidebar that is muddling my thinking. If you and Willow are looking after it I can concentrate on the main. Like a puzzle." Zoë smiled at her.

"And Beth?" Tara jotted down the needed reference on a piece of paper from Zoë's notebook.

"I'll go talk to her." Zoë nodded picking up her book when Tara was done and moving towards the stairs.

"Zoë." Tara called softly to her.

"Yeah?" She looked back.

"She seems lovely." The blonde smiled.

"She's thin, but still stunning." Zoë smiled happily.

"I'll keep the house people free for you." Tara nodded softly.

"Thanks." Zoë took in a deep breath and then started up the stairs.

-x-


	21. Chapter 21

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Twenty One.**

"Bethie?" Zoe pushed the door open a little.

"Smelled the ham and cheese sandwiches did you?" Beth smiled from her place sat at the window.

"I did." Zoë smiled as she moved in and closed the door. "You haven't eaten anything." She looked at the tray. "I'm surprised Tara couldn't even tempt you."

"She left it here, I think she thinks I'll crack." Beth smiled softly. "She's very sweet." She added turning again to look out of the window.

"Beth..." Zoë sat down on the bed near her. "I have to talk to you, and I swear when I do I'm going to sound insane but it's all true."

"You insane, never." Beth chuckled lightly as a thousand memories of crazy things the Canadian had done all flashed into her mind, quickly followed by memories of her calling Zoë crazy or insane every single time.

"Usually." Zoë smiled at the relaxed laugh. "This is the reason I had to go to Italy." She held out the spell book.

Frowning slightly Beth leaned forward and took the book. In silence she looked at it, flipped it open and then closed it.

"Old books?" She looked confused.

"No baby, read." Zoë opened the front again to the first page which was gold leaf inscribed with 'Boreham Almanac of Spells'.

"It's a spell book." Beth frowned more. "Magic?" She looked at Zoë.

"Magic." Zoë nodded. "Mom wanted me to go to see a coven in Italy to help me with my magicks." She could hardly believe she had said the words.

"I'm guessing we not talking Paul McKenna here." Beth shook her head slowly.

"Paul McKenna?" Zoë raised an eyebrow.

"I knew I'd get his name wrong, that guy who stands on top of hundred feet tall pillars, and buries himself in ice." She tried to explain her example.

"Oh, no he's a magician. He does tricks baby, misdirection. I'm a witch." Zoë smiled. "I sorta do stuff like..." She looked at the side try and with a little effort made the fork lift up and float over. "For a start."

"Woo back up." Beth pushed up from her chair. "Put that down!" She squeaked looking at the object and Zoë reached out and pulled it out of the air. "You're a witch." Beth repeated what sounded like completely unbelievable words.

"I'm a witch." Zoë nodded. "Mom was a witch, Nanny was a witch. I come from a long line of witches."

"Are we talking devil worship kind of thing here?" Beth frowned again.

"Devil, no!" Zoë shook her head. "It's just a harnessing of the natural energy around you in the world."

"I… I can't believe you didn't tell me." Beth stammered slightly.

"I never took it seriously 'till I went to Italy." Zoë tried to explain.

"Until I left you?" Beth frowned.

"Well... yes." She nodded.

"Your time in Italy, was good?" Beth checked.

"Bethany, what do you want me to say? Yes it was, I loved Italy had a blast. Or no, no matter how good it was it sucked without you but I can't be a sad loser who holds out forever pining for you to love me like some stalker.' Zoë looked down.

"The truth would be nice." Beth looked down as well.

"Italy was beautiful, wonderful and I spend the whole time wishing you were there with me so it sucked." Zoë summed up.

"And you trained in your... wait... is Tara a witch too?" Beth blinked.

"Her and Willow." Zoë nodded.

"So this place, it's what, a witch's college? I thought that kind of thing was only in Harry Potter." Beth frowned more.

"No, it was a coven. A very special coven where they do instruction, nothing like Harry potter." Zoë shook her head firmly.

"So why aren't you there any more?" Beth tried to process what Zoë was saying.

"Because... well... because there is an evil entity called the First trying to destroy the world." Zoë startled to ramble. "Buffy and Faith and Owl are special women, called slayers who are prophesised to kill vampires and save the world. I had to come to deliver Tara and Willow a book and now I'm helping kill it."

"Stop, stop, stop." Beth pushed up. "I need to get out of here." She picked up her small purse.

"Beth, you can't." Zoë moved to stop her. "There are demons called Bringers outside the perimeter of the house, they'll kill you."

"Zoë, stop, listen to yourself, you're talking about witchcraft and demons and evil that is going to end the world." Beth shook her head.

"Yes, and its all real Beth." Zoë nodded. "How do you think I knew Holly was dead?" She pointed out suddenly. "How did I know where you were when I called?"

"The papers." Beth replied hesitantly. "It was in the papers. It's how I heard." She kept frowning as she looked at her ex.

"The papers..." Zoë stopped and then looked at her. "You... you weren't with her when it happened?"

"No, I didn't love Holly." Beth took a breath her head shaking again as she sat down and sighed. "And I couldn't stand by and watch the roller coaster to Hell she was riding."

"You didn't love Holly?" The Canadian's face showed her confusion. "But you went..." She didn't finish.

"I went because she asked me to. I talked to your mother for a long time before agreeing Zee." Beth frowned even more.

"And Mom said what?" Zoë looked horrified as she stood up. "That you should leave me for Holly?"

"I didn't leave you for Holly." Beth pushed up again and moved to the window.

"Okay maybe I'm being thick here but when you said 'Zoë it's over I'm going to New York with Holly', I was supposed to take that how exactly?" Zoë followed her.

"You were supposed to take it like you did I suppose." Beth frowned even harder. "That I was going away, but that I wouldn't be alone. The last thing I told you was that I loved you." The young English woman looked out of the window leaning forward to rest her head on the glass.

"Baby I never though you didn't love me but you leaving to go with Holly gave me the distinct impression you weren't 'IN' love with me anymore." Zoë clarified. "And then when Holly came over and told me that you didn't want me at the airport, you wanted just to have a clean break and not have a scene well that just sealed it you know?"

"I'm sorry." Beth whispered. "But you would never have gone to Italy if I had stayed and you needed to go."

"I needed to become a part of a world that you now think I'm crazy because of?"

Zoë shook her head. "Look Bethany I know this sounds insane I really do but even if it does, the threat is real. I brought you here because it threatened you and I couldn't let it hurt you, ever, no matter how or what you felt about me."

"I didn't know what this 'world' was." Beth turned almost scowling. "But yes, your mother was..." She stopped. "Threatened me?" The words made her train of thought change again.

"It can take the form of dead people, it came as Holly and said it was going to kill you." Zoë looked up her eyes honest and serious.

"So it's like a ghost?" Beth tried to assess.

"It's an entity without form. That's why we haven't beat it yet, I'm trying to figure out a spell to give it form so the slayers can kill it." Zoë nodded that Beth was thinking the right things.

"The Slayers." Beth nodded slowly. "She's one of the slayers." She pointed out of the window to Faith who was now wielding a long sword.

"Yes." Zoë looked out briefly.

"And she plays with a sword?" Beth took a breath as she felt her legs go a little shaky.

"No, she fights and kills evil things with it." Zoë corrected.

"Are these people keeping you here, is this some kind of cult or sect? I can help you Zoë if it is." Beth turned and crossed quickly over to the other woman.

"No, no baby. It's not like that." Zoë shook her head. "It's real."

"No, this kind of thing, this isn't real..." Beth reached out and put her hand over Zoë's. "Let me help you." She looked up into her ex lover's eyes. "I can make this better."

"Beth, it is real." Zoë held onto Beth's hand.

"But how?" The small English woman asked the limits of her imagination pushed and broken.

"Because evil has always existed." Zoë held them tighter. "And someone has had to fight it while everyone else is oblivious."

"And you're what? Going to fight it? With them?" Beth felt her hands shake.

"I have to help." Zoë nodded solemnly.

"By what floating a fork?" Beth felt herself shake more. "Baby you can't fight like this."

"I'm helping with the spell, you know how good I am at research." Zoë shrugged as Beth pulled her hand away. She stepped back she wrapped her arm around her waist and pushed the other one up through her hair. "Beth, how can I make this easier?" Zoë questioned softly.

"I... I don't know." Beth shook her head.

"Do you want some time to think? Would it help if someone else told you about it?" Zoë questioned anxiously.

"I doubt it." Beth was honest. "It's... it's a lot to take in."

"I know, I'm sorry but I had to get you here where I can keep you safe." Zoë whispered.

"I..." Beth stopped. "Thank you." She tried a smile but it came out more than wobbly move of her lower lip.

"Nothing to say sorry for baby, you know I couldn't do anything but." Zoë underlined softly.

"No I didn't, I broke your heart, hardly inspires loyalty does it." The blonde pointed out sadly.

"It doesn't matter, I still wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you."

Zoë shook her head reaching out for her hand again.

"I didn't leave because I wasn't in love with you anymore Zee." Beth whispered looking up at her.

"Good, because I never stopped loving you." Zoë held light brown eyes.

"I'm sure you did." Beth frowned.

"No, I only went to Italy because everywhere at home reminded me of you."

Zoë smiled softly. "And since I didn't have you, I just flew off to wherever."

"Tara's nice." Beth said softly blinking at the other woman.

"She is, we talked a lot. She'd had a bad break up with Willow but they're back together now." Zoë filled in holding her gaze.

"That's nice, that they're back together." Beth nodded, her eyes tracking ever centimetre of the Canadian's face.

"I miss you." She breathed out barely audible.

"Don't!" Raising a shaking finger Beth rested it on Zoë's lips. "Don't say it."

"Why?" Zoë questioned feeling the light pressure on her lips.

"Because, this situation doesn't seem like it needs to be made harder." Beth didn't move her finger.

"I understand." Zoë stayed there for a second then she turned her head. "I'll let you rest." She moved to stand up.

"Do you?" Beth let her move her hand moving to rest on her cheek.

"You don't want me to tell you I love you because you either a) think I'm crazy or b) believe me and figure this is not the time to have to tell me you don't want me." Zoë summed up closing her eyes and resting against the small hand.

"No, I don't want you to tell me you love me, because if you do, I won't be able to stop myself saying it back." Beth moved her thumb back and forth lightly.

"I know you do, but it's not the same is it?" Zoë didn't open her eyes as the tiny motion soothed her.

"Not the same?" Beth whispered.

"You're not in love with me anymore." Zoë finally opened her eyes.

"I've never not been in love with you Zee." Beth shook her head.

"I don't understand." The Canadian opened her eyes.

"Think about it Zee, we had everything, we were settled and comfortable, and God, we were barely past twenty. There was so much both of us still had to do, but that I knew we would never do together. You would never have gone to Italy, I would never had had that wild ride that some dark part of me seemed to want." Bethany explained. "I know now it sounds stupid, but I felt there was something I could never give you. A part of your life I could never reach. Now I find out its this." She looked around. "Magic."

"I didn't need it when I had you." Zoë nodded that she agreed.

"You did." Beth objected.

"I didn't, I still don't. I'm not that good at it Beth." Zoë shook her head.

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I had to help when I knew they needed it." Zoë gave her a crooked smile. "You know what a sucker I am."

"In other words you volunteered?" She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you?"

"My mentor in Italy had a book that they needed here in order to help them fight, she couldn't trust it to be shipped so yeah I volunteered." Zoë gave her a crocked smile.

"When will you ever learn?" Bethany shook her head softly.

"Probably never." Zoë continued to smile. "It was like when I went after the shy well breed British exchange student when no one said I had a chance."

"You got me." Bethany chuckled softly.

"I know this is unfair but I want to kiss you." Zoë whispered.

"I know it's not fair but I want you too as well." Beth admitted as they looked at each other in anticipation.

"Can I?" Zoë pressed up a bit closer as she questioned.

"Yes." Beth swallowed, closing her eyes in anticipation.

Zoë licked her lips before she moved forward and pressed them over Beth's. A soft groan escaped from the back of the smaller woman's throat as she felt her body bend towards and against the tall Canadian. Zoë's arms reached around her instantly to steady her, as they pressed closer.

"I miss you." Beth pulled back breathing lightly.

"I miss you too." Zoë's eyes tracked over her face quickly.

"I'm glad you found something." The smaller woman stroked her hand over Zoë's shoulder.

"I didn't so much find it as figure out what had been inside me all this time." Zoë admitted. "Though I'm not very good with it."

"Possibly because you've spent twenty years ignoring it." Bethany suggested innocently.

"Could be." The Canadian laughed lightly. "But I know now it's the right thing, something I need like you said but I need you too."

"Still?" Beth sighed softly.

"Never stopped." Zoë shook her head.

"Holly and I… we never..." Beth glanced over her shoulder at the bed before looking at Zoë again. "I've never been anyone but yours." She pointed out wanting Zoë to be very clear about this.

"You didn't even kiss her?" Zoë questioned softly.

"Never on the lips." Beth clarified.

"I have to tell you when I was in Italy, Tara and I kissed once... briefly... but it just made me know you were the only one." Zoë whispered as she made the admission.

"It's fine." Beth raise her finger to Zoë's lips again. "You thought I'd left you, that I didn't love you, there is nothing you 'have' to tell me about the time were spent apart." She clarified softly.

"All of it I spent pining horribly over you." Zoë admitted leaning to kiss her again.

"Remind me again that this is all real?" Beth requested keeping their lips apart.

"This is real." Zoë nodded her voice honest.

"All of it?" Beth stressed.

"All of this." She nodded. "Even what I told you."

"So what happens now?" Beth blinked trying to get some idea of the future.

"With the First or between us?" Zoë asked for clarification.

"With either, both." She gave the honest reply though if she was honest she was more concerned about what Zoë wanted for them in the future. That was something tangible she could focus on and understand.

"The First, I need to figure out the spell to give it a body so that it can be killed." Zoë gave the easy answer. "Us... I want you Bethany." She whispered in a low voice.

"So you can forgive me?" Beth checked hardly able to believe the words were true.

"Already done." Zoë smiled at her.

"God, I just want to hold you." Beth stepped forward and nestled against Zoë's body. "The last three weeks have been hell."

"I can't imagine." Zoë snuggled her close.

"It's best if you don't even try." Bethany confirmed breathing in the clean lightly fragrant smell of whatever shampoo the tall Canadian was using. It was a familiar thing as she'd never associated a perfume or any other artificial scent with Zoë and an arousing one as breathed in the more natural scent that was just her tall ex.

"If you need to talk about it..." The witch encouraged.

"I'm not thinking talk right now." Beth admitted.

"Me either to be honest." Zoë leaned to kiss her again and Bethany pushed up to meet the kiss.

"Knock, knock." Sandra reluctantly opened the door when her initial knock hadn't been responded too. Bethany jumped back out of Zoë's arms, but the Canadian who was just as startled stepped to protect her. "Oh sorry." Sandra apologised. "I'm rounding up people for meeting and food, attendance is compulsory." She added. "You both need food and relaxation. So please."

Moving on automatic both young women shuffled off after her but not until Zoë had slipped her hands in Beth's.

-x-

"So come on Giles, what's the news?" Buffy leaned on a chair back and looked at her Watcher who was browsing through pages of hand written notes that the Canadian had handed over during dinner before slipping off back to the big house with Bethany.

"She's done some good work." Giles nodded and looked up form the paperwork. "I think she's created a viable spell, what we need to do is check and double check the full details of the original version of the spells she has modified. Without a clear picture we could have a little bit of a problem."

"What problem?" Buffy questioned immediately.

"Well to put it simply it won't work." Giles replied with a shrug.

"Wait, so our great spell is useless?' The Slayer scowled.

"Buffy do you actually listen to anything I say?" Giles scowled back. "The only complication when creating a spell is that you have to research all the backgrounds spells completely, to make sure there are no contradictions."

"How do you test destroying the one true evil?" The Slayer didn't rise to his scowl back.

"Exactly we can't test this particular spell, so research is the key." The Watcher sighed. "Honestly Buffy I said we're doing well, we need you to be as optimistic as I am."

"Did she come up with any?" Buffy kept asking questions.

"Contradictions?" Giles checked.

"Yes, I'm trying to be optimistic. Tell me she's already worked out some of them."

Buffy gave him a plastic smile.

"Buffy it's not that simple, it's the kind of checking it would take me days to complete." Giles frowned.

"Okay so she's working on it yeah?" Buffy looked for something remotely optimistic.

"Hang tight and give the girl room is what you're saying?" Faith filled in from the end of the table as she shined her boots.

"Well I think that Sandra and I will be taking over from here on in, as she might have other things she needs to concentrate on." Giles coughed slightly.

"But Giles do you think you can do this better than she can? Or is she our best bet." The blonde Slayer questioned him harshly.

"She's done the hard work, our job is to make sure the hard work pays off." Sandra offered.

"When do we get to kill it?" Faith questioned leaning back again.

"When we check and double check the spell, the spell conditions, and of course get the ingredients together." Sandra looked up at her.

"Yep B, hurry up and wait." Faith put her arms behind her head looking like she was going to have a nap.

"You'd rather rush in and try something and it not work?" Giles arched an eyebrow.

"No, we got one shot at this." Buffy shook her head. "We're just not great at waiting but we'll wait."

"I am sure you can keep yourselves busy." Giles frowned briefly as he looked at the book from Italy. Sandra watched him frown and leaned closer.

"What is it?" She questioned seeing the Slayer's brief attention was already distracted.

"I'm not sure." Giles frowned and picked up a dictionary beside him. Sandra continued to look over his shoulder at the page. "Il tre possono sconfiggere l'un, ha amato con l'un ha fatto tre dal due." He tapped the passage he was looking at.

"Are you taking the literal translation?" Sandra stared concerned now with him.

"Well that's the problem, literally it means, 'The Three can defeat the One, armed with the One made Three by the Two'." Giles frowned. "Which rather sounds like something Willow would come out with during one of her babble fests."

"I know, which would suggest that we are missing something as we have no two making a one into three." Sandra frowned with him.

"You do know you two are sounding like a bad TV comedy right now don't you?" Buffy pointed out.

"Perhaps it would be best if we do get Zoë's input on this, to see if it is a relevant reference to the partials she has been combining." Sandra relented softly.

"That's probably the best way forward." Giles nodded, and glanced at his watch. "What are you girls doing with the evening?" He asked Faith and Buffy.

"Dividing lots for patrol." Faith smiled at him. "You want me to go grab the Maple Leaf and let her know you need all witches in the pow wow?"

"No, we'll work on it more and tomorrow morning we'll keep her back after the meeting." Giles shook his head to Faith's offer.

"We should go get your Birdy B and decide which of us are going out." Faith stood up.

"Work hard." Buffy got up and looked at Giles.

"Thank you Buffy we will." The Watcher arched his eyebrow.

"Oh and Giles." Faith paused in the doorway. "Tone down the aftershave, who are you impressing anyway?" She winked at the two of them.

"I'm sorry Rupert, but I like her." Sandra laughed softly as Giles looked down blushing as the two slayers left.

"You haven't had nearly enough exposure to her." Giles huffed straightening his waistcoat.

-x-

Patrol for Faith's group had brought them two dead vamps and a demon that had apparently just come out of hibernation to find that the city was empty and its number was up. Of course now that she was faced with the aftermath of some good hard slaying, Faith was reconsidering her anxiousness to get out there to patrol at all.

"Not sleepy little D?" Faith looked up as Dawn wandered into the living room where the dark Slayer was watching bad television.

"Amanda's snoring." Dawn flopped down on the couch. "Why are you not tucked up asleep?" She added looking up at the Slayer.

"Well you know, did patrol, killed a couple of bad things and got that rush going on." Faith shrugged. "I think I'm gonna let Buffy or Owl take patrols from now on, because at least they got each other to wind down with." She sighed and flicked the TV station a few times.

"I'm not tired, we could play cards or something." Dawn offered trying not to think of her sister winding down with anyone.

"You're cute you know that right?" Faith smiled warmly.

"I try." Dawn smiled back. "We could steal Andrew's play station and play that game with the vampire woman you like. You can even put her on jiggly boob mode." She blushed and laughed.

"Okay you know you have been watching me way too much Dawnster." Faith chuckled more. "So you like the jiggly boobs too eh?" She winked.

"Well you know, I have to have someone to crush on." Dawn grinned cheekily.

"So you chose an animated vamp girl with jiggly boobs, you know you're kinda sounding like Andrew there." Faith laughed more.

"No, you silly." The teenager rolled her eyes. "Though your appeal is dropping dense girl."

The comment made Faith laugh more as she looked at Dawn. She smiled at the long silk pants and strap top that the youngest Summers was wearing.

"You know if I was younger and a better person, I'd jump on you and kiss you right now." Faith winked at her.

"Good. But you're old so lets play a game." Dawn smiled finally getting what Faith had been trying to say to her the other night when she'd rather embarrassingly thrown herself at her. There was no reason to rush things; no reason to think it was all about sex. She actually wished it were something she could tell Buffy and the others to make them see how much the dark Slayer had changed.

"Any good at poker?" Faith asked quickly.

"Buffy won't let me play, but Clem showed me." She grinned. "We could play for cookies."

"Well I'm not going to get you to change it for smokes am I?" Faith nodded to Dawn to get the cards.

"What would I want with cigarettes?" Dawn made a face. "That stuff is gross, it gives you wrinkles."

"Wrinkles?" Faith laughed more. "And what science is that?"

"Science of 'Clinique skin care', the lady at the mall told me." Dawn said officially as she went over to the drawer and pulled the cards out moving back to the couch.

"Well I'm not seeing any wrinkles, so maybe slayers are immune." Faith turned and put her feet on the couch. "So cookies?" She looked unconvinced.

"Or we could just keep score I guess." Dawn shrugged. "Or we could play for smokes but you'd be getting them all in the end."

"Nah come on live dangerously." Faith grinned. "We have to play for something we both want and if cookies are the best I'm going to get."

Dawn laughed at her and moved quickly into the kitchen getting a big bag of Oreos and a half bag of chocolate chip cookies, she grabbed some vanilla wafers as well.

"Okay Oreos are highest, then chocolate chip then wafers." Dawn explained plunking them down.

"You know if this ever gets out that this is how Faith the vampire slayer deals with HH syndrome my reputation's done." She stole a vanilla wafer and ate it.

"Hey you're in debt to the house already." Dawn pointed a finger at her.

"What?" Faith frowned. "No fair I was hungry." She grabbed another and put it in her mouth sideways grinning around it.

"I'm so going to win, your first H is going to do you in." The teenager took her half of the total plus two wafers extra. "You can deal."

"Nah this is just my way of making the game even." Faith winked and took an Oreo from the bag munching it.

"Out of your stash missy." Dawn stole one and added it to hers. She picked up the cards that Faith dealt her. "So what was it like?"

"Creamy, not crunchy and so chocolaty." Faith organised her cards.

"I know what an Oreo is like, I meant prison." Dawn laughed moving her cards around studying them.

"Parts of it make Sunnydale look like a pleasure beach." Faith leaned back.

"Did they have a hole that they put people in like the movies?" Dawn put down four cards to the discard.

"Dawn it was the big house, not some bad b movie." Faith arched her eyebrow. "Why are we talking about this? It's a bad place Dawn, so keep smart and stay out of them."

"Just wondering." Dawn shrugged. "Mostly because if I ask you'll tell me." She added picking up the new cards that Faith dealt her.

"It's bad Dawn, you're either locked up or being watched 24/7." Faith took a breath. "Though it helps you think a bit, about what you've done, what you might do in the future."

"Two Oreos." Dawn put down the cookies into the pot. "So when did you know you liked girls?" She tried to look nonchalant as she asked.

"I'll see your two Oreos and raise you a cookie." Faith sectioned off the relevant treats. "Since I was younger than you, and its not so much liking girls, it's loving the lovin."

"You love to have sex you mean?" Dawn contemplated her cards then added another cookie and a wafer.

"Yes something like that, the fire that races though you, the way everything feels bigger, more real, alive and electric." Faith gave a shiver trying to focus on the game.

"Do you think that we can really beat it?" Dawn looked up at her changing topics quickly again.

"Yes." Faith nodded quickly. "We can do it little D."

"Two more Oreos and I call." Dawn laid down her cards. "Four queens."

"Beats me." Faith laid her cards down too. "You've got a good poker face." The dark Slayer collected the cards and shuffled them. "Why the questions?" She looked into brown eyes.

"The world is ending." The teenager pointed out sadly. "Must be Tuesday." She sighed.

"Wanna go for a ride?" Faith put the cards down.

"Where?" Dawn's eyes lit up.

"Anywhere, I think we need to be reminded of what we're trying to save don't you, just a quick run out to somewhere pretty how about it?" Faith offered.

"Sure." Dawn ate a cookie and pushed up. "We're taking the jeep?"

"We'll take the vehicle of your choice." Faith pushed up to.

"Can we take the Harley?" The brunette asked excited by the idea.

"Sure as long as you promise to hang on tight. Owl and I fixed her up, she's running okay and I think that means Birdy owes me one right?" Faith nodded.

"Definitely. I've never been on a Harley, Spike had a crappy dirt bike but whatever." Dawn moved over to grab her coat.

"You need to cover those up." Faith pointed to Dawn's bare legs from the bottom of her shorts down.

"I'll throw on some jeans." Dawn ran upstairs almost toppling down them when she came back down still trying to do them up. Faith laughed softly at her attempt to get changed as soon as possible.

"Easy Dawn, I'm not about to retract the offer." Faith assured her as she pulled on her jacket.

"I know. I just can't wait to get outside the perimeter. Do you think the slushy machine will still work at the 7/11?" She finished with her belt.

"Maybe, let's find out shall we." Faith opened the door. "Come on baby." She chuckled and winked back making Dawn giggle as she grabbed the spare helmet off the rack and moved after her.

-x-

Faith got up and shook melting ice off her collar grimacing at the sticky blue raspberry syrup that dribbled from the obviously broken slushy machine down onto the floor.

"Okay so I can't mend slushy machines." She frowned and looked back at Dawn. "Sorry."

"You tried." Dawn looked down from the counter banging her feet lightly against it. "Though hey if we were playing poker for smokes there is a ton here." She pointed behind her to the cabinet.

"No, wait I might have it." Faith reached back in through the open side panel seeing another wire was loose.

There was a short 'fizz' noise, then a brief scream from Faith as a plume of white smoke shot out from the machine and threw Faith across the short corridor into the counter that Dawn sat up on.

"Faith!" Dawn yelped trying to dive out of the blue stream of slushy syrup as it continued to pour at them.

"Pull the power." Faith gasped, her back arched hard in pain.

Dawn scrambled around, thinking enough to not step into the blue material as she found the large plug in the underside of the counter. She kicked it out of the socket and the stream died down immediately.

"Faith, are you okay?" She moved back over around to the dark Slayer.

"Yeah I'm okay." Faith smiled and then promptly fainted.

"Faith!" Dawn yelped moving over to her and pushed her off her stomach onto her side. "FAITH!" She yelled trying to wake her up, checking for any sign of injury but she couldn't find any even as the dark haired slayer didn't respond. "Oh my God, oh my God." She started to panic looking around. "Faith, please Faith." She rubbed over her face.

Faith gave a low groan but didn't seem to move any closer to consciousness. Dawn reached into the Slayer's pocket searching for a cell phone. Thankful when she found the slim silver phone she flipped it opened and dialled the house number.

"Pick up Buffy." She urged trying to magically make it happen.

"Hello?" It was Piper that answered the call.

"Owl... oh God Owl you have to help me!" Dawn's voice was obviously at the brink of total panic.

"Woo calm down Dawn, I'll be right over." Owl assured her.

"I'm not at home." Dawn pointed out instantly. "Faith and I went for a ride, we're at the Seven Eleven on fourth. The slushy machine... she was trying to fix it... she won't wake up Owl."

"She was trying to fix the machine? What happened?" Owl could be heard getting up from wherever she was.

"It started shooting blue stuff like crazy, I had to pull the plug, oh my God!"

Dawn gasped looking at it. "I think it electrocuted her." She came up with the only explanation.

"She didn't disconnect it?" Piper could be heard to curse sharply.

"I don't know." Dawn tried to sit her up. "Please get here."

"I'm coming Dawn, check her breathing and her pulse rate, get her in the recovery position okay." Piper's voice came out hurried but controlled.

"The who what?" Dawn tried not to drop the phone.

"She's breathing right?" The sound of a car door closing could be heard on the other end of the phone. Dawn wiped the blue sludge off her hand on her jeans and then moved it up to Faith's mouth.

"Yes." She confirmed into the phone.

"And her pulse?" Piper checked.

"Piper where are you going?" A new voice came into the scene as Buffy followed out onto the lawn when she saw her lover getting into the jeep.

"Two seconds Dawn." Owl apologised and then put her hand over the phone muffling her response. "Dawn and Faith have run into a bit of bother at the Seven Eleven."

"A bit of bother?" Buffy walked out to the car. "Wait why the Hell are they at the Seven Eleven?"

"I don't know Buffy, but then need someone, and I'm being that person." Piper replied and said something muffled into the phone that the blonde couldn't hear.

"I'm coming." She went to move around.

"You can't, we can't leave everyone here unprotected." Owl pointed to the houses.

"Get them back." Buffy was about to go into her usual 'it's my sister rant' but saw the determined look on Piper's face.

"I will." Piper promised.

Buffy stepped back and urged her to go. Piper smiled tightly and threw the car into drive, pulling out onto the main road.

-x-

Driving fast, but safely, Owl was at the small convenience store in an amazingly short time. Screeching to a halt and taking a few months wear off the tires she was almost out of the car before it had stopped

"Dawn?" She pushed the door open.

"OWL!" Dawn yelled to bring her over to the machine at the end of the shop.

Piper hurried through taking in the mess of blue slush and unconscious Slayer.

"Has she done anything? Said anything?" Piper dropped to her knees.

"Groaned, nothing else." Dawn shook her head.

"Well that's better than nothing, no blood or anything?" She checked as she pressed her fingertips to the other Slayer's neck.

"Not that I can see in the goo." Dawn looked around.

"She's out cold." Piper frowned.

"We need to get home." Dawn looked around feeling very vulnerable.

"You're right, think you can drive the jeep back?" Piper asked of the teenager

"Anything." Dawn nodded.

"The best thing I can think of to do is have you drive her back to the house, I'll escort you on the Harley, keeping you safe." The Slayer made her plan of attack.

"Are you sure?" Dawn looked around.

"Dawn, we've seen how the First and the Bringers work, if I'm in the car with you, I can't stop them." She pointed out.

"I can drive." Dawn nodded. "Do you want me to help you carry her?"

"No, I'll get her." Piper shook her head and eased Faith into her arms.

"I'll get the door." Dawn moved to open it.

Carefully Owl carried her out to the jeep and after Dawn had prepared the back seat she eased Faith down, pulled the safety straps over her and then fixed a blanket around the unconscious Slayer.

"Okay Dawn." Piper pulled back and closed the door.

"You going ahead or behind?" Dawn questioned obviously nervous.

"Well you just get going. I'll probably pull in front of you." Piper replied.

Dawn nodded and got into the front seat starting the jeep. She put both hands on the steering wheel looking nervous.

"You can do this Dawn." Piper put her hand over Dawn's. "Remember, don't stop for anything or anyone, just drive home, no matter what, clear?" Dawn nodded and moved to put the car into gear. "Faith's going to be fine, just get her home Dawn." Piper smiled encouragingly as she pulled back and slammed the car door.

Dawn put the car into gear and started to drive when she heard Piper roar the Harley to life. A loud low hiss filled the air, roaring louder than the engine of the Slayer's bike. Turning Piper froze to see an Uber vampire moving towards her. Dawn looked in the rear view mirror and tried not to scream. Flicking her head back briefly Piper looked at the car.

"DRIVE!" She screamed swinging her leg off the Harley as she looked for something to arm herself with.

Dawn put her foot down feeling the engine scream to life as she pushed it down the road.

"Hi there ugly, I don't think we've had the pleasure." Owl steadied the bike and side stepped back towards the door of the shop.

The Uber followed move for move, timing a jump at the Slayer just as Piper stepped back and slammed the door forward onto the vampire, smashing the glass and frame over the disfigured body.

Growling louder the Uber shook itself and climbed in over the glass and broken steel hardly loosing its momentum. Backing up Owl was still trying to look for something to fight with. When she heard a noise from behind her, she turned her head quickly as she watched two Bringers moved into the main shop floor from the back room.

"Oh now I get it." Piper slowed down. "You plugged the machine back in didn't you? I knew Faith was too smart to play with main line juice." She glanced back at the Bringers shaking her head. "Two slayers with one sweep huh." She continued as one of the Bringers jumped up on the counter, not happy with the slow approach, it jumped down onto Piper bringing her to the ground, but in a brief, relatively non violent struggle the young Slayer snapped its neck and armed herself with the long arced dagger. "Better odds." She smiled tossing the knife from hand to hand.

Owl didn't have anywhere to go stuck between the chip cabinet and the counter.

She ducked down at the last minute letting the Uber overshoot her. She felt the heavy weight of it shift off her back as she pressed forward under it.

The Uber rolled bowling into the other Bringer and sending it scattering into the machines behind. The two creatures seemed to fight with each other for leverage and seeing her opening she reached up ripping the electronic cash register off the counter and pulling the cord free from the back she threw it down at the blue slushy puddle.

When the live wire hit the liquid the whole room sparked up as the badly ran electric cable didn't have trip switch and it continued to pump electricity into the Uber and Bringer until the Bringer dropped dead and the Uber melted into a pile of dust.

"I've always thought that slushy was an electric blue colour for a reason." She chuckled to herself as she turned and walked towards the door.

"Nice move Birdy." Faith stepped out in front of the door.

"Your little plan failed bastard." Piper growled stopping and straightening up.

"Did it?" Faith smiled at her. "How do you know I haven't sent a dozen Ubers after your little jeep? They could be having that little girl for lunch, what would your lover say to that?"

"Fuck you." Piper pushed forward closer to the First.

"I mean I'm sure she's taken a new tone when you and her are doing the nasty but I have never heard Buffy Summers really use that language." The First shifted its form into Buffy. "Now, now Piper, play nice."

"Don't use her form." Piper growled. "You have no right to use her."

"You'd prefer I use your other woman's?" Buffy cocked an eyebrow.

"Wouldn't some one like Ted Bundy suit you more?" Piper pointed out.

"I know who you'd really like." The First's form shifted again to that of the peroxide vamp. "Hello pretty, Mmmmm now don't you look all rumble tumble tough." Spike growled at her looking her up and down.

"You can't work me up like this." Piper did her best to ignore the leering look from Spike.

"Can't I?" Spike gave her a grin. "You mean if I ask your opinion on whether you think Buffy is more of a moaner or a groaner?"

"She moans in pleasure, when someone is loving her, neither you nor that prick you are pretending to be will ever know what that sounds like, or feels like." Piper felt her chest tighten a little.

"Oh I've heard her moan, when she used to go down on her knees she used to moan." Spike hooked his hand into his belt.

"She should have bitten it off." Piper snarled.

"No darling, she was gagging for it." He licked his lips.

"She was looking for love." Piper countered feeling herself get more and more angry.

"She got it, all she could take." Spike shrugged.

"You're fucked up in the head." Piper moved forward again for some reason trying to move around the non-corporeal form.

"You don't stand a chance Piper." Buffy form came back into focus as the First turned with her. "I'm going to kill you all, slayer, potentials, witches and watchers."

"Keep dreaming your little delusions of grandeur." Piper stepped out into the parking lot.

"You forget I have all the time in the world, give you long enough you'll kill yourself." Buffy laughed.

"And just why would we do that?" Piper scoffed moving directly to her Harley.

"Because you're foolish impudent humans." Buffy laughed back.

"And you're a non corporeal nothing!" Piper bit back.

"You better run Piper, just in time to maybe save a little bit of Dawn to prove to me how you failed." Buffy waved her off.

"You're history." Piper spurred her bike into life and screeched off down the highway.

-x-

Speeding dangerously fast Owl soon caught up with the jeep that seemed to be having little or no trouble driving down the road. Pulling out and around it Piper over took the bigger vehicle, turning briefly and giving Dawn an okay symbol as she smiled at the teenager. Dawn gave her a shaky okay single back.

Piper actually relaxed the throttle slightly as she pulled into the middle of the road in front of the jeep, pleased that the First seemed to have once more over estimated its position. Checking back over her shoulder the young Slayer's attention was drawn away from the road and had she not been distracted she would have seen the movement in the shadows at the sides of the road.

Piper caught sight of the rope stretched across the road at mid body height just a fraction of a second too late and she tried to prepare herself for the hard meeting.

Dawn had been looking around so much petrified that she had easily seen the movement. Lucky for Owl, Dawn had seen the rope as it rose and even more to her own surprise she put her foot to the floor making the Jeep squeal ahead of the bike driving the grill into the rope and dragging the creatures that held it out of the bushes to skid along the tarmac.

Piper blinked trying to catch up with what had happened. She flipped the visor up on her helmet.

"BRAKE!" She screamed and Dawn followed her instruction putting her foot to the floor on the other peddle. Screeching to a halt the rope catapulted forward throwing the Bringers with it. Piper braked too and jumped off her bike. She sprinted to the jeep and pulled the passenger door open. "Go, go, go." She hit the dashboard. Dawn put her foot down squealing off rubber as the jeep took off down the road. "Nice driving Dawn." Piper flashed her a grin that vanished when there came a dull thud on the jeep's roof. "Shit, sounds like we got company." She sighed and glanced at the window.

"What do I do?" Dawn questioned frantically.

"Keep driving." Piper instructed. "I'll deal." Piper pushed open the door, and didn't so much climb up onto the roof as was pulled up there by a Bringer.

It had immediately slashed its knife at her throat when she was high enough and Piper fell back her spine hitting the jeep roof hard.

"OWL!" Dawn screamed hearing the noise and the jeep lurched a bit.

The Bringer had to hold on for a moment trying not to fall off the top before he managed to try and take another swipe at her.

"Ugh little D, what's going on?" Form the back seat a groan came from the dark Slayer.

"Owl's on the roof fighting an Uber." Dawn's voice was thick with fright.

Up on the roof Piper pushed backwards and felt the knife swipe across her abdomen cutting through her jacket and shirt slicing into her skin beneath. Trying to further roll away from the blade she ran out of space and began to topple down the front of the car. Dawn screamed as the windshield was obscured when Owl's legs came dangling down in front of it. At the same time blood from her stomach wound began to pour down the glass.

"Faith, do something!" Dawn squealed trying to see enough to figure out where she was going.

"Speed up." Faith instructed clearly though groggily. Dawn wanted to disagree but she put her foot to the ground trusting that Faith would know what was best. Owl's body sunk a little further down the glass bending down the radio antenna slightly.

"Birdy hang on." Faith called weakly but she could see Owl nod a bit. "Dawn brake hard."

"But?" Dawn looked between Owl and Faith before she closed her eyes and put her foot on the brake. She snapped them open when she heard a loud bump on the hood to see the Bringer falling forward past Owl and then she was jolted up and down in her seat as she ran over him.

Seeing the precarious hold that Owl had, she stopped the car and watched helpless as Piper's body slid down the windshield slowly to land on the hood.

"Owl?" Dawn moved to undo her belt and pushed out of the car.

"Ow." Piper rolled off the hood and dropped onto the tarmac.

"Oh God you're bleeding." Dawn moved down to where she was. "We have to get you in the car." She looked around fearfully.

"Yeah..." The Slayer tried to push up but ended up more or less crawling around to the door. Dawn helped pull her up inside to slump on the front passenger seat. "Go." Piper encouraged moving as best as she could to put on her seatbelt. Dawn moved around to the other side and started driving as fast as she could. "You were great Dawn." Piper smiled at her weakly holding her arm across her stomach.

"How bad are you cut?" Dawn made a squealing turn around a corner.

"Well you know..." Piper breathed in painfully as her body was thrown a little.

"Almost home. Faith, are you awake?" Dawn checked as she turned another corner less drastically.

"Was I kicked by an elephant?" Faith asked with a groan.

"No, the slushy machine." Rather sadly Dawn was forced to turn on the windshield wipers to wash the thick blood off the window as she found it harder to drive.

"What?" Faith tried to move. "Why the hell am I strapped in here?"

"You were unconscious, people let me drive then you can ask questions." Dawn fretted as she finally managed to pull up into the driveway of the house honking the horn loudly. "BUFFY!" She started screaming at the house as soon as she cut the engine.

"Will somebody please explain to me what's going on?" The front door to the main house opened and Giles stood there rubbing his eyes.

"Giles, Owl is hurt, so is Faith." Dawn scrambled around the car.

"Dawn!" Buffy came out of the other house with the staff already an axe just in case. "Piper." She felt herself pale when she saw all the blood.

"I'm okay." Faith called from the back seat. "I just don't want to break the car by ripping these safety belts off." She growled as Giles opened the door and reached in to flip the belts loose. "Oh okay, less with the I'm fine. Everything hurts." She more or less fell off the back seat.

"Get her in the house." Buffy instructed to Giles as she picked Piper up out of her seat and moved quickly with her towards the house where Tara and Willow were. "Dawn get Zoë, now." She underlined knowing the Canadian seemed to have the most medical expertise, putting her in a league with Giles. "TARA, WILLOW!" She screamed as she pushed the front door open and moved to put Piper on the couch.

"Is... Is Dawn okay?" Piper groaned as she was laid lightly on the couch.

"She's fine." Buffy pushed out more flat as she ripped the shreds of shirt away to expose the wound.

"What's going on?" Willow rushed down the stairs obviously half asleep. "Oh my Goddess, I'll get the kit." She raced towards the stash in the basement.

"And Fai...OW!" Piper groaned, tipping her head to the side as pain flashed across her stomach.

"I'm okay Birdy." Faith said from where Giles's leaned her in the doorway. "I just need to rest, take me home G man." She leaned more heavily on the Watcher. Sandra hurried to add her support to the other side as they moved the Slayer next door.

"What happened?" Willow slung the large kit on the floor and opened it moving to take out a pressure bandage for Buffy.

"I don't know." The Slayer shook her head as she pushed it down onto the bleeding.

"Okay... Okay I'm here." Zoë showed up looking even in worse shape than Willow. "What did this?" She moved closer trying to get past Buffy to see.

"I'm guessing a Bringers dagger." Buffy frowned hard and put her hand on Piper's forehead. "It's okay Piper, you're going to be okay." She whispered.

"Move over please." Zoë tried not to be too aggressive as she moved in pulling the bandage back to get a better view. "Its not deep, just long, flesh wound." She reached down tearing open more gauze. "Do you want painkillers or for me just to stitch it?"

"Just stitch." Piper growled blinking her eyes open, her teeth gritted.

"Buffy can you get her something to bite on soft, not worth ruining all that dental work Owl." Zoë was glad when Willow moved to help pressure the wound while she started to get the needle and thread ready. "We're going to have to clean it too if you could get some towels you don't mind getting blood on."

"I'll get them." From behind the scene Tara's soft voice interjected.

"Thank you." Zoë moved to finish prepping everything. She opened up one of the sterilization pads and began working on her own hands and fingers, then moved up her arms. "I know you're a slayer now but the last thing we need is an infection."

"Right now all I care about is you stopping my lover's stomach falling out." Buffy looked at the Canadian.

"That's exactly what I'm doing." Zoë didn't bat an eyelash or rise to the anger as she directed Tara to put the towels down. "Get ready this is going to hurt." She started to bathe the wound in alcohol and worked to get any dirt out of it.

"I'm sorry Buffy, I'm sorry." Dawn whined a little from near the doorway.

"Not now Dawn!" Buffy snapped accidentally as she curled her hand around Piper's. The newest Slayer was pale and sweating, her teeth clenched around the rolled up tea towel Buffy had sorted for her.

"I only wanted a slushy." Dawn whined feeling her eyes fill up with tears.

"It's okay Dawnie." Tara whispered softly as she pulled the teenager into a loose embrace, kissing her head softly.

In tense silence, Zoë finished cleaning the wound and then reached back as Willow finished readying the needle and suture thread. Just as she took the small implement the ear piercing sound of the barrier alarm being breeched made everyone leap.

"God-damn it no, not now." Buffy pushed up with a frown letting Piper's hand go as she looked up out of the window to see bringers flood towards the houses. "Dawn help Chia get Georgia down into the basement. Giles, Sandra, grab what weapons you can." She ran to the door.

"We're ready." Flick and Beatrix stood on the stairs, both armed and bright eyed, they moved aside as Dawn ran up and then reappeared moments later with the injured Georgia helping her through and down to the basement as bringers broke through the front and back door almost simultaneously.

"Will, Tara, watch Zoë and Piper, Zoë, please get her fixed up if you can. Flick, Beatrix you have the back door." Buffy instructed with a nod as she headed to the front door to defend it.

"What about me?" Andrew whined.

"Grab a sword dumbass." Buffy hissed at him.

-x-

"Kennedy." Faith groaned the potential's name as loud as she could when the alarms began, to her credit the dark haired SIT was in the lounge the next instant, armed and ready, with Vi on her tail.

"Faith can you get up the stairs to Xander and Anya's room?" She asked looking at the trashed Slayer.

"I'm not leaving you to fight." Faith pushed up staggering a little to get to her feet.

"You don't have a choice, Giles and Sandra are on their way back to the other house." Kennedy just lightly pushed her shoulder and sent her sprawling to the floor. "You're no use right now, protecting Xander and Anya is job enough." The SIT's voice was slightly wavering but final.

Faith growled more in annoyance than anything as she pushed up the stairs taking Amanda's offer of support as she got to the landing.

"Can we do this?" Vi looked at Kennedy and swallowed.

"We have to." Kennedy said with a nod and ran to cover the back door, leaving Vi and Amanda to head off the front assault.

-x-

"What's that noise?" Blinking Bethany opened her door and stepped out into the hallway almost being run over by one of the young girls.

"It's the proximity alarm." Jo replied looking back to her, the tall potential already stood at the top of the stairs with an axe.

"Proximity alarm?" The young English woman's face contorted into a harder frown.

"Mean's they're coming." From behind her Alice stepped out of another room carrying a short sword. Seeing the weapons Bethany's eyes grew wider.

"It's okay, we have Buffy and Owl here, we're good." Jo tried to introduce calm.

"They're not here." Emily's voice called from downstairs.

"She's right, Dawn came and got Zoë about ten minutes ago, Buffy needed her at the main house." Bethany explained.

"Then we're on our own." Jo took a breath. "Alice, you and Donna, stay with Bethany and hold things up here." The tall woman instructed. "Carmeal, you and Emily cover the back, Stacey, you and I have the front. Okay?" She tried to breathe slowly and remain calm but it was obvious that she was frightened.

"Okay." Everyone agreed and with a quick nod they began moving.

-x-

"Giles, this is crazy." Buffy panted as she glanced over to where the Watcher was fighting off two Bringers near the front door with some assistance from Andrew. "If they've attacked the other houses with this much force, we're in trouble. Oh hell, the girls…" The Slayer's mind raced thinking of everyone at her house alone.

"Bethany." Zoë pushed up from where she was more or less cowering over Piper to protect her, unable to work on the Slayer's wound because of the flying furniture and Bringers.

"Stay down Zoë." Tara hissed.

"I can't I have to get to Bethie." Zoë turned a glare on the blue-eyed witch.

"Sweetie, I need you." Tara said her voice dropping a little as she reached out her hand to Willow. Without question the redhead slipped her hand into Tara's. "Enemy within, enemy without, dispel our fears, failings and doubt, strengthen our hearts, combine our powers, make our minutes, for them be hours." Tara breathed the short spell and then her and Willow moved their hands in an arc over the heads coming to end with one hand clasped and one pressed palms together.

Suddenly the world around them seemed to shimmer a little, and though Buffy, Giles and Andrew were all moving normally, the Bringers actions were slowed, every movement they made slowed down to take and age.

"Tara, what the…" Buffy turned her head sharply.

"Quickly Buffy, we can't hold this." Tara blinked sparkling blue eyes.

Buffy jumped up spun and drew her sword through the nearest Bringer, the only way she knew it was dead was that the sword literally went through its mid section.

"This is so cool, just like the matrix." Andrew enthused. "Not to mention the fact that I can kill them now too." He started stabbing at the closest Bringer.

"Is it like this in all the houses?" Buffy checked looking at the spellcaster.

"In all." Willow replied in a somewhat monotone voice.

"I'm going to the big house." Buffy ran to the door. "Just keep it up as long as you can guys." She breathed heavily and then ran for the house.

-x-

Buffy had been gone for about ten minutes, the Bringers in the main house were all in theory dispatched but with the time delay it was hard to tell. Tara and Willow in that time had moved to sit on the floor keeping their hands together in the same way, though their arms shook as they forced the connection between them to stay strong.

"We have to stop." Willow panted looking at the soft trail of blood from Tara's nose down to her lip.

"Just a little longer." Tara breathed shallowly.

"No." Willow pulled her hand back to break their connection and making both witches slump forward instantly.

"Tara." Zoë frowned and hurried to her side as around them dead Bringers dropped to the floor.

"Willow." Giles hurried over to the redhead.

"I'm okay." Willow tipped her head back flicking her hair out of her face. "Baby?" She looked at Tara.

The blonde haired witch more slowly raised her head and wiped her bloody nose.

"I'm okay." She breathed before collapsing onto Zoë.

"That's my girl." Willow gave an unfocused smile and fell into Giles' arms.

"Okay so what was that?" Flick came in from the kitchen.

"That was a time changing spell." Zoë replied moving carefully to lay Tara down. "They must have cast together." She frowned slightly.

"Impressive." Sandra noted as she got cushions for behind both Willow and Tara's heads.

"Dangerous." Giles assessed with a deep frown as he pushed up from the floor. "Zoë, finish with Piper." He glanced at the unconscious Slayer. "I'll check on the other houses."

-x-

Less than an hour later everyone was settled again and the proximity alarms had been reset. Now in their own bedroom, Buffy rounded the side of the bed slowly looking down at Owl who was laid out with a thick bandage across her stomach.

"You know just because you're a slayer now doesn't mean you're knife proof." She sat carefully down on the edge her voice showing the edge of worry inside her.

"Feeling the proof of that." Piper nodded easing one eye open. "I'm not imagining it am I, the houses got attacked didn't they?"

"Yes, but everything is fine. We had one minor cut but Tara and Willow did a time spell so we were able to kill them all." Buffy explained what had gone on. "But you don't have to worry about that, you need to rest."

"A time spell." Piper made a vague attempt to sit up.

"Hey, you're resting remember? Zoë took along time stitching you up." Buffy held her down. "I'm sure she didn't think she'd ever have to perform combat surgery."

"I bet not, did she do a decent job, I want a straight scar." Owl smiled slightly.

"She did great." Buffy nodded. "So are you up for telling me what happened?"

"With what?" Owl evaded the direct question.

"With the fact you got slashed up, Faith is acting like she had electroshock therapy and Dawn is acting like she phoned the First and invited it to come kill us all?"

Buffy explained that unless Owl was in too much pain to answer, she didn't want her questions evaded.

"Well from what I pieced together Dawn wanted a slushy, Faith took her to the store on the Harley but the machine wasn't working and Faith tried to fix it." Piper recapped.

"And?" She pushed knowing there had to be more.

"I'm pretty sure Faith took the precaution of unplugging it, but our friendly Bringers plugged it back in." Piper went on.

"So she was electrocuted?" Buffy felt bad for her earlier comment now.

"Pretty much yes." Owl smiled. "But it's okay you didn't know baby."

"How did you get cut?" Buffy reached up taking her lover's hand.

"I think Dawn acted pretty quick and switched off the juice, oh..." Piper looked at Buffy's hand. "The First had a bit to tease me about when I'd sent Dawn off with Faith and then started to threaten Dawn. I raced after them, thanks to Dawn I wasn't garrotted off my bike, but a Bringer attack on the jeep meant that one of the bastards got lucky." Piper moved her other hand over the bandaging. "Your sister knows how to handle a jeep."

"On the jeep, you mean like on the roof of the jeep?" Buffy cocked an eyebrow.

"Yean, on the roof exactly. I guess I was whacked out and a little slow after the whole Bringer, and ugly vampire attack in the 7 11." Owl gave a crooked frown.

"I can't believe you..." Buffy went to berate her about being up on the jeep roof, and the fact that Dawn was driving when she stopped. "Ugly vampire? You mean you were attacked by an Uber?"

"Yeah." Piper nodded. "They fry great, but smell like shit."

"There shouldn't be any more Ubers." Buffy shook her head her hand slipping from Owl's. "I mean fine the one that Tara blew up but that was just one, now what a week later another one pops up and comes after you. We've had three Bringer attacks and no Ubers, why wouldn't it send Ubers if it had them?"

"Well maybe it was just an ugly vamp." Piper pushed uncomfortably up as Buffy pulled away slightly.

"How did you kill it?" Buffy stood up and stepped back.

"Cash register lead strikes back to help the good guys with the help of the slushy goo." Piper replied.

"You dropped it on it?" The blonde looked at her pacing a bit as she thought.

"No, reference to frying Buffy." Piper pushed off the bed, groaning in pain as her weight rested on her feet.

"You burnt it?" Buffy finally focused on her. "What are you doing? Get back in bed." She moved over to keep her from walking away from the bed.

"I'm trying to get close to my girlfriend who seems more set on getting as far away from me as possible." Piper pointed out Buffy's continuous retreat.

"What? No." She shook her head. "I was just thinking, there's something I'm missing here."

"Snuggling next to me?" Piper offered trying a charming smile.

"No... Yes... I... the Ubers." Buffy tried to focus. "There shouldn't be any more of them."

"Maybe it just had them." Piper offered. "You know like in the wings."

"Please just lie down." Buffy looked at the bed. "I'll stay right here."

"No, you're worried, you want to go out or something? Check the seal?" Piper shook her head wrapping her arm lightly around her stomach.

"We can't risk going out yet." Buffy shook her head. "Maybe tomorrow, when we talk to Giles." She motioned again. "Piper, please."

"Buffy, it's just down the road, we can go and be back." Piper fought to keep her eyes focused.

"Lie down before I make you." Buffy said sternly.

"You're not settled Buffy." Piper frowned but she did sit down again.

"Of course I'm not settled, you've got your stomach ripped open, Faith was electrocuted, you got attacked by an Uber, Dawn was driving around Sunnydale... we got attacked... again!" Buffy listed all her reasons. "Willow and Tara did a spell I'm really not sure I want to know about because it had to be a little too close to dark evil Willow then I ever wanted to see again and... and…" Her voice started to shake. "I can't do a thing to stop any of this." She clenched her hands at her sides.

"You are doing so much Buffy." Piper pushed up and went to her. "You're keeping us all focused and together." She stated softly. "Come on, we're going to the high school." She forced herself to walk towards the door.

"There is no point." Buffy shook her head sitting on the bed. "It can't be open, we'd be over run with them if it was. I just don't know how it has gotten more."

"Well like I say, maybe it kept them back." Piper crossed back to the bed holding her stomach a little tighter as her stitches pulled.

"I have to start thinking, I have to out think it. I have to figure out what it is doing." Buffy looked down at her boots. "No more waiting, I have to figure all this out now."

"Tomorrow." Piper encouraged as she sat back down on the bed.

"Are you okay?" Buffy blinked at her lover.

"No." Piper shook her head. "I need to lay down, I feel kinda sick and the world is spinning, and... Well I think I nearly died back there and…" She stopped and dropped back down onto the mattress. "And I wanted to get back to you."

"You're not allowed to die." Buffy turned and moved up on her knees close to the tall Slayer. "Okay you get that in your head right now. No more dying." She added almost irrationally, her tone not one she would normally direct at Piper, especially with the woman being injured.

"Hey I didn't want to die, just you know when Dawn had to put the wipers on to clear the blood..." She stopped when she noticed the other Slayer's shoulders shaking and that Buffy's jaw was locked almost painfully. "Buffy, whoa, baby." She frowned and opened her arms. "Come here baby."

"No, we need to get this straight!" Buffy growled at her. "There's not going to be anymore dying, no over the top slayer heroics, I don't want you or Dawn outside the compound again... ever." She shook her head resting her hands on her thighs as she sat there. Her fingers gripped into the denim and flesh still showing how they shook no matter how her body tried to fight it.

"Buffy, Buffy." Piper reached out and put her hands over the blonde Slayer's. "Look at me, look at me." She demanded softly.

"Promise me, promise me." Buffy looked at her lover with wild eyes. "No more dying." Her breath came hard and fast out of her nose.

"Buffy shush." Piper pushed up and took Buffy in her arms and pulled her close. "Let go baby, let go." She put her hand over the back of Buffy's head leading it down to her shoulder, rocking their bodies slightly.

"I can't... do this..." Buffy's body shook stiffly as she was cradled her voice thick and difficult as she struggled a bit to get away.

"You have to do this." Piper contradicted and used her new Slayer strength to keep her from getting away. "For your sanity, for both of us." She kept them rocking. "You need to give in, let go and feel this."

"I... I ... can't." Buffy shook her head slightly not fighting as much now as her body shook harder.

"Buffy please." Owl pulled her back slightly and looked into hazel eyes. "You need to do this, you're hurting, you're scared, and you're tired of seeing people in pain. Let it affect you."

"I can't... I have to be strong." Buffy blinked her eyes trying to stop them from tearing up.

"Why? Who sees this? Who knows about this apart from me? Buffy I'm not in love with Buffy the hard ass emotionless shell, I'm in love with Buffy, the prettiest, softest, most warm hearted slayer I know." Piper pointed out her voice soft and loving.

"Because, you'll doubt me... you'll think less of me." Buffy shook her head trying to get back some grip on her self-control.

"I'll doubt you more if you don't." Owl shook her head.

The blonde seemed to weigh her options, looking for a moment as if she would pull away completely and sink further into herself. But as she heard her lover's words and felt the soft way that Piper held onto her, remembered the way she had been holding onto her trying to offer her comfort and safety she found that she didn't want to run away anymore, she wanted to fall into it and stop fighting so hard for just a little while at least.

"I just want it to stop." She suddenly leaned back against Owl's body, her own small form being racked by hard oppressive sobs.

"We'll make it stop baby." Owl held her and kissed her head. "We'll make it stop together."

-x-


	22. Chapter 22

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Twenty two.**

Zoë ran her hands under the tap trying to clean the rest of Owl's blood off them. She tried to keep her eyes out of the sink to keep from watching as the red swirled down the drain. She dried them off looking up into the mirror to the dark circles under her eyes. They hadn't really got a good night's sleep since all of this had started and it was starting to take their toll on everyone.

"Zee?" A soft British voice inquired from the door.

"It's not locked." She turned pulling the door open. "Hi." She gave a soft smile.

"I was hoping it was you." Bethany let herself in and crossed to lean against the wall near the sink, she was pale and shaking slightly.

"I was just trying to clean up first... I had to stitch Owl up... it was messy." She admitted the cadence of her words not quite even as she saw how disturbed Beth was.

"Stitch her up?" Beth innocently requested details.

"She got slashed by a Bringer, I'm not sure exactly how but she was out with Dawn and Faith and the three of them were attacked." Zoë turned off the water. "Are you okay?" She checked for herself. She'd already gotten confirmation from the others in the house that the English girl hadn't been injured or seen much of the fighting.

"Slashed by a Bringer?" Beth restated the earlier comment. "Badly?"

"Flesh wound." She shook her head. "From what I hear her Slayer metabolism will have most of it healed by the morning. I just needed to stop the bleeding and give the flesh a helping hand."

"But you... you're not qualified to do that kind of thing." Beth frowned. "You could have caused more damage."

"I know, but I'm the closest thing we've had to someone who is qualified, well other than Mr. Giles, but he can only do so much. I guess all those boring hours you made me study paid off eh?" Zoë tried to smile.

"Zee we have to get out of here." Bethany's voice shook as she played nervously with her hair.

"We can't baby." She shook her head.

"We have to." Beth stated again with more firmness.

"Bethany I don't think you understand, if I don't help them beat the First the whole world is doomed." Zoë tried to show the weight of the situation.

"I… I can't do this." Bethany began to shake more.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could stop this." Zoë moved closer to her. "I wish I could have kept you safe another way."

"I need to leave." Beth turned and left the bathroom heading to the bedroom she had shared with Zoë.

"Beth, Bethany." She followed after her. "You can't. If you leave it will hurt you."

"I… I don't know that." Beth moved into the room and picked up the smallest of her bags.

"Beth, I can't let you leave." Zoë moved over and put her hand on the bag. "I can't let it hurt you."

"I don't understand any of this." Bethany shook her head.

"I know you don't, I wish I could explain to you but a certain amount of it is on faith. I need you to trust me." She put her hand over Beth's.

"Trust you?" Beth looked up at the other woman. "When you've always hidden all of this from me?"

"I didn't hide this, you said yourself I never acknowledged any of this before." Zoë shook her head. "Beth, do you remember when that New Years in Toronto, when we were at the club downtown and we were mugged?"

"Of course I do." Beth looked down.

"Did you never ever wonder how we managed to get away?" Zoë squeezed her hand. "I never thought of it myself until I was in Italy but how else could he have just disappeared?"

"I don't know, we both said we weren't sure what happened." Bethany clarified not sure she wanted to think about this.

"I know what I did now. I know what happened." Zoë took a deep breath and concentrated. "Move." She whispered and with less effort than she expected they both moved to the other side of the bed.

"Don't!" Beth jumped up away from Zoë. "Magic is… its wrong!" She frowned hard.

"Why is it wrong?" Zoë looked at her surprised.

"It's not… how can it be natural?" Beth felt her hands shake.

"It is natural, it is the most natural thing. Magic is all around us." Zoë argued softly.

"My father told me it was evil." Beth looked at Zoë.

"What did you dad know about magic Beth, true magic? I'm not talking story books, or evil satanic worship." Zoë sat down. "I'm talking about harnessing power, natural power."

"I want to believe you." Beth admitted her voice soft. "I want to be here with you."

"After this is done Beth, if you want me to give it up I will. I won't study, or practice or ever do another spell but right now I need to do this and I need you behind me." Zoë looked up at her, her voice almost a whisper.

"You don't need me." Beth shook her head.

"I need you." Zoë underlined standing up and moving over to her. "I have always needed you."

"What can I possible do for you? I'm not a part of this world." Beth looked up unable to keep her hands off the other woman as she brushed her palm over the Canadian's hair.

"I don't care about that." Zoë shook her head. "I only want you because I'm in love with you, you make me happy, you know me better than anyone else in the world. You're my Beth."

"Make love to me." Beth said suddenly, her voice barely a whisper.

"Oh God baby I want you." Zoë admitted moving to kiss her, sliding her arms around the other's woman's body and pulling her closer.

"I was hoping that that hadn't changed." Beth admitted closing her eyes meeting the kiss.

-x-

"I remember the floor and a cushion, I don't remember cosy bed and clean Pj's." Tara kept her eyes closed mainly because of the banging in her head. Her hand ran over and over the soft sheet and the light smell of fabric softener near her nose told her that she was no longer in blood stained sleepwear.

"We moved you up here, you passed out." Willow soothed her from very nearby. Her hand came up to ease the newly heated pack onto Tara's head. "Try to rest baby."

"You need to rest too." Tara countered, moving her head to keep Willow's hand on the head pack, her fingers smoothing over soft warm skin.

"I am resting, right here watching my girl." Willow vowed moving her leg over to brush against Tara's to show her she was under the covers with her. The move caused a smile to grace Tara's tired features.

"Mmmmm Willow leg." She whispered, turning her aching head towards Willow, her eyes still closed.

"Yes, might be hairy Willow legs I didn't do a good job shaving this morning with you in the shower with me." The redhead smiled. "Do you need pills for your head baby?"

"Your legs are never hairy." Tara chuckled softly. "They're always soft and smooth, the most they ever get is a tiny bit prickly and I don't mind that, Willow prickles." She smiled more. "My head's not that bad. Are you okay?" She whispered.

"I'm fine. I don't have backlash headache." She shook her head. "I don't have any backlash actually, do you think that's because it was with you?"

"I can hope so." Tara smiled lovingly. "When casting spells like that I make sure to run your power through me, not visa-versa." She explained. "That way the First can't work through them to get to you."

"Wait, are you saying you took all the backlash for yourself? Tara, no you can't do that." Willow shook her head against the pillow.

"It's just until the First is dealt with." Tara tried to placate her lover.

"No, unacceptable." Willow defied the idea. "I don't like you using this much power or taking all of it into yourself. I can deal with my own backlash Tara."

"If you channel the power through yourself Will, the First can hurt you with it, in a way that it can't hurt me." Tara again tried to clarify the difference. "This way I'm the caster and you don't get hurt. It works for me."

"Yes, but if I don't temper my magic properly you'll be streaming it into you without a chance of buffering the changes. It's too dangerous baby, I don't want you doing it that way." Willow continued to object squeezing Tara's hand. "I won't hurt you with magic again, I can't."

"I don't know if there is another way baby." Tara slowly opened her eyes and whispered. "You've already felt what the First can do to you through magic, I have to make sure that it can't hurt you again, but we need your skills, we need your power." She smiled tenderly. "I'm just your, filter." She tried to make her lover feel more at ease.

"But a filter that gets pain because of me?" Willow couldn't help objection to the provision.

"Willow I'm not doing this because I have to, I'm doing this because I want to." Tara breathed. "I want to get 'us' right this time, I want to be the understanding, supportive helpful girlfriend I should have been the first time round."

"I don't want you to be that understanding, I don't want you to let me hurt you and then think well it's your fault, think you needed to be better girlfriend. That's not right Tara." Willow sat up. "I can't have you doing that, I love you too much for that."

"Willow, Sweetie." Tara moved the heat pack off her head and sat up too, "This isn't about me failing, you failing, or anything like that. This is just about now, and what needs to be to get us through this. Nothing more, nothing less, when the First is beaten, and his ability to hurt you is over, so is the filter."

"I hate it, I hate it." Willow clenched her hands. "I hate that its hurt you, hurt me." She moved forward and hugged Tara.

"I know sweetie, I know." Tara held her tightly. "But it's just for now, just for a little while." She rubbed her hand up and down the redhead's back. "And it's never you hurting me, never, remember that. All of this, everything, it's the First."

"I love you, I hate it." Willow admitted with as much emotion in both statements. "We have to find a way to beat it."

"We will, I have great hopes for the spell that Zoë is working on, together it should be a snap." Tara tried gentle encouragement.

"Oh Goddess is your head okay?" Willow leaned back realizing the blonde was sitting up.

"It's felt better." Tara admitted letting her eyes dip closed.

"What can I do to help?" Willow reached up rubbing her arm.

"Hold me, kiss me." Tara replied opening her eyes again.

"Are you sure baby?" Willow leaned closer to her studying her lover's eyes.

"Am I sure what?" Tara asked softly.

"That you're up for kisses. You know how carried away I get in the girl on girl action." Willow teased not wanting to face the horror of the world outside of the two of them at least for these few precious moments.

"I'm up for Willow kisses, my Willow might get carried away, but she never does anything I don't want." Tara nodded.

"Mmmmm never ever again." The redhead moved to guide her lover back down on the bed before leaning in to enjoy a soft kiss.

Willow settled on her side, pressed close so that her lower leg was draped over Tara's, her hand rubbing up and down the blonde's side as the kiss lingered.

"You're beautiful, you know that right?" Tara broke the kiss to whisper.

"You always say that and then I always say no you." Willow smiled at her tracing her hand around Tara's stomach.

"Mmmmm I could lie here, and you could, you know." Tara blushed as she let her eyes close. "You said it was the best medicine for headaches."

"Could what baby?" Willow kissed down her throat.

"Make love to me." Tara purred tipping her head back a little exposing more of her long throat.

"Yes baby." Willow kissed down further, pushing up the material of Tara's shirt. "But I meant more how?"

"Willow mouth, Willow tongue." Tara breathed out feeling her body relax. "The other day was no amazing."

"Mmmmm nice way." Willow smiled as she skipped over the bunch of material and pressed her lips to Tara's stomach, placing kisses across the warm tanned skin.

"One of my all time favourites." Tara tensed her stomach arching up a little for her lover.

"And what is your favourite time?" Willow urged her to speak as her own mouth busied with more kisses before her tongue slid out caressing skin.

"As if I could specify." Tara murmured softly. "You know you're the only one who can just touch me and make me melt inside, just one look and I'm just wanting you, needing to touch you, taste you. Oh Willow, I never knew this kind of love, our kind of togetherness, and connection existed." She breathed in and out quicker as her temperature notched up and her pulse rate increased.

Willow slowly kissed her way up warm skin, gently pressing the blonde's tank top up as she did so that it was always a few inches ahead of her lips. She kept her body off to the side so only her hand and her lips touched Tara's body giving her only the small moments of contact to focus on.

She was glad they were both in the pjs so that she didn't have to deal with a bra. With Tara on her back the blonde's ample breasts swelled out to the sides with perfect curves breaking from her body.

The redhead broke off in a V from her sternum kissing along the underside of her right breast to the outer edge before she dragged her tongue back inwards along the meeting point of her breasts and ribs. When she reached the space between she changed back to kisses, moving to trace the bottom of her left breast before she repeated the motion with her tongue into the centre.

Tara found herself exactly where she wanted to be as she reached her arms up, her elbows bent as she pressed her palms up into the headboard. A flag raised in her brain as she felt the slow and calculated kisses and movements that her lover was using to explore her breasts.

She'd experienced this before, times when Willow had used a pace so slow that when she finally stumbled into release it was blinding with its pleasure, the lengthy over stimulation leaving it so that just a kiss made her body flare again and again and she also knew now it was just what she wanted.

Willow's lips began to map out a grid of kisses, crisscrossing across and then down, one small touch of her lips falling on each nipple as she moved. The brief contact making Tara arch up slightly as the touch she had been waiting most for came and went far too quickly.

Moving in the same pattern back, Willow purposely moved a few inches in closer so it was only the corner of her lips that touch the hard flesh. The same path came again, but this time Willow was just out of reach of the hot spots as her kisses passed on the outside edges.

"Willow." Tara breathed out feeling her body arch up more as the continued feel of the redhead's warm breath over kiss dampened skin made her feel as if her breasts ached.

Green eyes flicked up, joined by a wicked smile as she kissed a straight line across, her lips falling lower than the blonde's nipples but close enough that her short nose nudged across them as she moved. Feeling the strong way that Tara pushed up and the stronger contact, Willow settled her lips below the blonde's left nipple, licking with the firm end of her tongue so that it slid up the underside of the hard flesh a moment after her nose had, she repeated the motion licking down.

"Will... yes." Tara's arch stretched up higher on that side, as the still light contact didn't fulfil what she wanted.

Willow heard the gentle plea and decided her lover was ready for a bit more as she flattened her tongue out and swirled it around the throbbing flesh. She marvelled at the way that each move echoed in Tara's hips as they pressed up trying to find some pressure only to find nothing pressing back.

Tara on the other hand wasn't really aware of her lower body as everything focused on the wet touch over her nipple. She never used to believe that such a small area of her body could be so sensitive, but whenever her breast-loving redhead was in the mood she was always proved wrong.

It was only when Willow's lips pulled back giving her a moment without stimulation that Tara was left to realize that her small pj's shorts were stuck up against the wet patch she had squeezed out of her body as she pressed her legs together.

Willow only left her with a brief moment of contemplation as her lips closed firmly over the other nipple and she sucked strongly on it. The gasp of pleasure she felt echo in Tara's body made her smile as she rolled the captured flesh against the smooth back of her front teeth with her tongue.

"Oh Goddess baby." Tara groaned as she managed to look down and see Willow pulling her lips back with the still captured flesh, the tension making her feel the throb between her legs even more. Willow gently released the pressure smiling up at the green eyes that watched her.

"I know angel." She reached down and waited for Tara to lift up as she pushed the shorts down off her lover's body. She followed the move down with her lips, kissing up the front side of Tara's leg from her mid shin all the way up to her hip before she kissed across her stomach and made the same trail down on the other side.

"Mmmmm feeling less headachy and more mmmmm every second." Tara moaned softly.

"I know what you want me to do, what you need me to do, and I want to do that, I need to do that." Willow put her hands on lover's knees, guiding them easily open as she settled her body down closer inhaling the sweet scent of the arousal she had caused. "Want more Mmmmm."

"Oh Willow, there's so much more for you, just for you." Tara pushed a little harder on to headboard.

"I want it all." Willow pressed her lips closer running her tongue up the wet line that existed in short blonde hair.

Tara felt her taut stomach muscles quiver in pleasure. A small whimper coming from her open mouth as she moved her hips a little left to right. Indeed wanting more Willow pressed her tongue, carving in deeper.

The response was immediate as Tara's hips flared open, trying to draw her lover's tongue deeper still as she pressed harder against the headboard to lever her body.

Willow's tongue didn't disappoint as it began to wind around Tara's throbbing centre, carving out the soft edges within and seeking out the sensitive spot that she knew would make her lover's hips rise off the bed.

Stroking it with the tip of her tongue she was ready when Tara's body flared up and a louder moan filled the room around them. It seemed obvious that her attempt to draw out their lovemaking wasn't going to be possible as Tara's hips jumped and flexed to each of her movements in such a way she knew that the blonde was much closer to orgasm then probably even she knew herself.

Greedily wanting to feel just that, Willow took a deep breath and pressed her lips inward so that she could close them over the flesh she teased and sucked.

Tara felt her hips shift back and forth under the new harder tension that flared from deep with the core of her body. A familiar shivering began in her inner thighs as she tried to push down closer to her lover's lips, but the press down made the pressure increase and with a quick turn Tara found herself lifting up off the bed with her upper body as all the muscles inside her body started to spasm, her orgasm breaking hard through her body.

Willow could hardly believe the uninhibited show of love that Tara was experiencing and she did her best to draw the pleasure out as long as she could. When Tara's body finally settled back on the mattress she moved up beside her lover drawing the blonde's tired body to hers.

"I love you so much." She kissed her cheek seeing that Tara was still panting to hard for a mouth-to-mouth kiss.

"I love you too." Tara managed to reply. "Mmmmm I don't have a head to have a headache anymore." She let her eyes flutter closed and her arms dropped down.

"That was my plan." Willow smiled happily as she pulled the sheet up over them. "Rest baby, I'm right here."

"Mmmmm, snuggle me." Tara requested softly.

"Forever." The redhead pulled her close spooning around her body snuggling close.

-x-

"I think I've found it." Giles looked up from his book pulling off his glasses.

All the eyes in the room went to look at him immediately.

"Sorry." He apologised. "I didn't mean to sound quite that victorious"

"What is it Giles?" Buffy offered him the opportunity to expand.

"Well I've been puzzling out magic babble." He began.

"Babble can be magic?" Willow grinned. "I must look into that more."

"We did come across a phrase Rupert donned, 'the Willow passage'." Sandra smiled at her.

"And what does it suggest?" Willow smiled at the name.

"Well when we first encountered it we had the rather literal translation of 'The Three can defeat the one, armed with The One made three by The Two.'" Sandra explained the passage.

"Definitely Willow babble." Buffy laughed lightly.

"Precisely." Giles nodded.

"Well I think it's cute." Tara reached out and squeezed her lover's hand.

"Maybe I wrote it in another life." Willow squeezed Tara's hand back.

"Possibly." Giles didn't smile. "But unfortunately I don't have good news."

"Bad me in a previous life." Willow looked at him and stuck her bottom lip out.

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault baby." Tara encouraged her.

"Giles." Buffy tried to bring the attention back to the Watcher. "Bad news?"

"Oh yes, well 'The One' it refers to apparently, is the staff." Giles filled in.

"Got that bit." She nodded and saw everyone agreeing.

"Well yes that's the bad news, taking the translation we have to have three staves." Giles sighed.

"So you mean we need three of them for the three of us?" Faith pointed between Buffy and herself, and then upstairs to where Owl was resting.

"Exactly." Giles nodded.

"Where are the other two?" Buffy asked bluntly.

"I don't know there's no reference to that." Giles shook his head and rubbed his temple.

"But it says there are three." Buffy underlined. "We only have one. You said the three made by the two, if you can figure out who made them we can find the others."

"I don't want to be the knowledge girl, but wouldn't the phrase suggest that its not that there is three, more that we have to 'make' three." Tara interjected.

"Yes, that's the assumption we'd been throwing around." Sandra nodded to her idea.

"There are several replication spells around." Tara put forward.

"Yes, yes." Giles frowned a bit more. "But none of them will work." He sighed heavily hating to squash the enthusiasm.

"Why not?" Buffy was the first to question.

"Because the staff is mystical." Giles looked at her. "If it were that easy to clone or replicate mystical objects then every spellcaster would be doing it." He pointed out the reality. "I'm afraid that it really isn't that simple." He pointed to the book he was reading. "To clone something mystical like the staff, one first needs something that itself is mystical." He tapped the paragraph he had translated.

"We have a ton of mystical stuff, what sort do we need?" Buffy found a shred of hope again.

"Well that's not exactly clear either." Giles again frowned. "They have to be unique, and blessed."

"We'd have to have something equivalent in stature to the staff itself, blessed by an equivalent power and just as rare. The cost of the spell backfiring would be to destroy the artefacts you were using, a very big risk." Zoë threw in listening to what he was outlining.

"And there is a further complication, the artefacts have to be personal." Giles flipped the book closed.

"You mean we have to find mystical underwear?" Faith rose an eyebrow grinning.

"You mean owned by the spellcaster?" Willow questioned at the same time gnawing on her lip.

"Oh that kind of personal." Faith nodded.

"Willow's kind yes." Giles clarified.

"More like something that has gained reputation while in the spellcaster's possession or something that has been willed or passed on by rite to the spellcaster." Zoë continued to explain.

"Quite." Giles nodded impressed at her general knowledge. "Basically we're looking for two unique, personalised, blessed mystical artefacts, that are owned by two specifically powerful spellcasters." He summed up.

Willow looked at Tara for a moment digesting his words. Everyone seemed to mill around oblivious to them as they digested the new breakthrough.

"We... we might have something." She whispered.

"We might?" Tara glanced at her

"The arrow." Willow looked into blue eyes.

"Oh my." Tara whispered and put her hand up to her lips.

"The arrow?" Giles couldn't help but eavesdrop.

"Blessed, it's ours and ours alone." Willow filled in her voice still almost inaudible.

"Willow what are you talking about?" Buffy asked edging forward on her chair.

"Do you think it will work?" For a moment Willow looked only at her lover.

"I... I don't know." Tara in turn only looked at Willow and though her words were hesitant her head was nodding.

"We... we have an arrow... halved and blessed by Artemis." Willow squeezed Tara's hand slowly turning to glance at the others.

"Blessed by who?" Faith frowned.

"Artemis, Greek Goddess of the hunt." Zoë filled in with wide eyes. "Patron deity of the Amazons."

"Unbelievably I find myself adding to the inane questions." Giles interjected. "How on earth did you come by this?"

"We… Um... we asked." Willow chewed on her lip again.

"Asked? One doesn't just ask a Goddess to bless an arrow." Giles frowned at the redhead.

"Yes one does." Willow shook her head back. "It's when I asked Tara to marry me, and we shot it off asking for blessing and we got it."

"This is great right?" Faith perked up. "Red and Blondie can do the mojo, then wham bam three staves, and we kick the First's ass."

"Tiny problem." Zoë put up her hand.

"And that would be Maple Leaf." Faith looked at her with a grin.

"If Willow and Tara are working to maintain the replication, who is going to give the First form?" She held out her notebook and waved it slightly.

"Well I suppose I could." Giles offered raising an eyebrow slightly.

"I'm going to have to rework this for one caster." Zoë huffed a bit pulling it back into her lap.

"And it looks like we're looking at cloning spells." Tara glanced at her lover.

"Well considering that was pegged to be a downer meeting." Faith pushed up. "It went kinda well. So you can go relieve your insane girlie now B. I mean I know we heal quick, but after ten hours I'm not sure she should be showing the gang how to vault over their opponent with their sword."

"What?" Buffy looked out the window and scowled. She could hardly believe that she was looking at exactly what Faith had described. Owl, who should have been in bed resting, was out training the SIT's.

"She's keen, you gotta love that." Faith grinned and leaned to pick up her can of coke from the table.

"Work on the spells." Buffy pushed up and moved towards the back door.

"Should I go out and save Birdie?" Faith grinned even more broadly. "Or do I just grab a shower?"

"Shower. They don't need you interfering." Sandra gave her a look.

"Shower it is." Faith nodded and took long strides out. "Good luck with the spells."

-x-

Reaching the backyard, Buffy stopped her hands on her hips.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She barked at the tall Slayer.

"What... oh err… Kennedy, take over here will you." Owl shook out her arms and held out her sword to the dark haired potential.

"Busted." Kennedy gave her a sly grin moving over to take the sword and Owl pulled away from the group of girls and looked at Buffy

"Hey baby." She tried a bright smile.

"What are you doing?" Buffy hissed. "You're supposed to be healing not high vaulting things."

"But I feel fine, the stitches aren't even pulling." Owl objected. "We could slip somewhere quieter and you could check they're ok." She winked.

"You're incorrigible." Buffy shook her head.

"I am, and I'm taking that as a no." She added.

"Get upstairs." Buffy growled stalking into the house.

"Looks like I'm in Shit Ken, keep going, Faith should be out soonish." Owl turned and shrugged. "Good start by the way guys, great recovery of skills after last night." She smiled at them all before moving towards the house that her and Buffy had taken up residence in.

Buffy was standing at the bottom of the stairs inside the house, tapping the stair rail as she waited for Owl to join her. Owl eased the basement door closed and slowly descended the stairs, passing Buffy to stand just by the dresser.

"You make me worry half to death, make me spend half the night away worrying more about you and then I find you out with the SIT's launching over things like you're fine?" Buffy moved over in front of her.

"I was just, you know working on their confidence." Owl wasn't sure for a moment how to gauge Buffy's statement. After all it was hard sometimes to judge if the blonde was angry-angry or just upset and overwhelmed.

"You didn't think perhaps if you had ten tones of energy you could have come to find me instead?" Buffy pushed closer to her.

"You were in a meeting remember." Owl smirked and stepped forward feeling her inner worry melt away as Buffy's intentions became clearer.

"Yeah well naked and waiting on the bed didn't occur to you?" Buffy looped her arms around Owl's neck.

"You told me to look after the SIT's." Owl defended sliding her arms onto Buffy's hips.

"Just accept you're wrong, I'm right... time to suck up." Buffy leaned up on her toes and kissed her open mouthed.

"I accept it." Owl pushed Buffy up a little, her hands firmly on her hips, growling as she felt the other Slayer's body push up off the floor and latch around her body. "How can I make it better?" She pressed her lips to Buffy's throat.

"Much sucking up and down." Buffy growled arching her hips against Owl's.

"Oh that would be my pleasure." Owl slid her hands back onto Buffy's ass squeezing.

"We have good spell news." Buffy ground against her hands.

"Oh do tell." Owl carried Buffy to the bed, laying her down gently.

"Willow and Tara have a way to make three staves... Three staffs... Whatever... We're each going to have one." She leaned up and kissed Owl full on the lips.

"One each, cool." Piper grinned in the kiss. "Not wanting to sound stupid, but how are they going to do that? I kinda thought that the staff was like THE staff, as in singular." She wiggled her body closer so that she was pressing her centre to Buffy's.

"Mmmmmm..." Buffy groaned her eyes dipping closed with the movement for a moment. "They have a spell where if you use other sacred objects you can mimic the staff, apparently its all part of the staff's prophecy. The one made into three by the two."

"Sounds like magic babble to me." Owl admitted dipping her head down to kiss Buffy's neck.

"Exactly." Buffy leaned her head back wanting more of the attention as she gripped her legs harder to grind against Owl's hips. "All I know is it gets us all a staff."

"Which means the three of us can kick the First's ass at the same time, I like it." Owl kissed over and over the newly exposed skin. "But wait, I thought the magical duo were making the First all fleshy so we can do the kicking."

"That was the glitch, Giles is going to have to do it now." Buffy reached up unbuttoning her top. "Zoë is pissed because she has to redo the spell but too bad, we need everyone with staffs."

"And at least our little Canadian has her little Brit to keep her happy now." Piper pointed out the other positive, smiling as Buffy worked.

"We're like the UN." Buffy laughed finally getting it pulled off her body so that her stomach and bra was exposed. She reached up pulling at Owl's T-shirt.

Owl pushed back and pulled off her shirt, revealing the neat row of stitches across the completely sealed wound.

"Bringing together the nations of the world huh." She chuckled dropped the shirt off the side of the bed.

"Something like that." Buffy leaned up kissing the flesh of Owl's collarbone as it was exposed.

"So don't you want to do a wound check or something?" Piper breathed deeper, enjoying the warm kisses being planted across her collar.

"You say you're better, if I find out you're not you're in bigger trouble." Buffy warned reaching down to the buckle on her lover's belt.

"You know for the girlie in this relationship, you're kinda bossy." Owl winked.

"Good thing you like it." Buffy looked up at her grinning.

"You have a point there." Piper nodded smirking back. "So pretty lady, what mood are you in today?" She reached down to help with her belt.

"You." Buffy answered simply. "Way too much talking already." She pulled Piper down harder and flipped her over straddling over her hips as she bent down kissing her.

"Mmmm." Piper growled lightly reaching her arms up around Buffy's back, at the same time the Slayer pressed down tight against her hips. "God you're hot today." She broke the tongue filled kiss with a second growl.

"So are you." Buffy kissed down her body moving to manhandle off the tall Slayer's bra before she closed her lips sucking hard on her left nipple.

"And hungry apparently." Piper pushed her back up in a hard arch.

"Always." The Slayer licked and sucked across her entire breast, bringing up several red spots on the flesh.

"God you're amazing." The tall woman reached and pressed her hands into Buffy's thighs.

"What do you want?" Buffy asked quickly before moving over to her other breast.

"To make you explode with pleasure." Piper slid her hands back and forth up Buffy's thighs. "To feel you on top of me, around me... mmmmmm, I want to have you."

"You don't have what you need on." Buffy growled licking down and up her stomach.

"Is that a request or a demand?" Piper smirked noting the careful way that Buffy lessened the pressure as she ran her tongue over the wound line.

"Observation, you said what you wanted but you're not ready for it." Buffy teased licking back up between her breasts.

"Well maybe you want a turn." Owl's smile grew a little.

"Do you think?" Buffy leaned up looking at her. "I mean I've never..." She admitted unnecessarily.

"I know you haven't, but that doesn't mean that now isn't a great time to be a first time." Piper countered.

"Where is it?" Buffy grinned liking the idea.

"Saddlebag, in the closet." Piper nodded.

"Get naked." Buffy kissed her again deeply before moving over to the closet door and swinging it closed so she was obstructed from view.

Piper got off the bed and quickly got rid of her remaining clothes, grinning almost inanely to herself, that Buffy was, well doing was she was doing. It just confirmed to the tall Slayer what she had suspected before their first kiss, behind the tight and somewhat prudish front, Buffy was longing to be a sexually confident young woman.

"Do you want shorts on or just her?" Buffy questioned from behind the barrier.

"Which ever feels best baby." Piper replied as she lay back down on the bed, shifting the pillows and sheets slightly beneath her.

The shuffling of Buffy working in the close quarters could be heard and a slight muffled curse sounded as something banged against the wooden door.

"What flavour?" Buffy tried to ask without showing how nervous she was.

"Bring the box babe, we can chose when we're ready." Piper encouraged her.

Buffy knew why she felt nervous this wasn't something she had ever done. For all she knew Piper could take one look at her and start laughing.

'If anyone had ever suggested I'd be standing here with a leather harness and a very large silicone...' Her mind stopped.

"You didn't say who you wanted." The Slayer poked her head around the door.

"Baby either is fine. There's only two in there to chose from." She laughed softly. "Pick whichever. You're gonna look stunning in either."

Buffy pulled back checking the straps and the buckles making sure it was tight enough, as she adjusted the central strap that went down around between her legs she groaned as the leather pressed up against her very hard centre.

"Close your eyes." She requested picking up the box of condoms and taking a deep breath.

"They're closed." She called reassuringly. Piper willingly followed the soft requested wanting Buffy to feel completely in charge and comfortable.

"I feel silly." Buffy admitted in a soft voice as she leaned out to check her lover's eyes were closed and then moved over quickly to the bed when she knew they were. She pulled up the light sheet and lay down next to her pulling the covers up over her body. "Okay."

"Buffy listen to me." Owl kept her eyes closed but turned on her side to face her lover. "If you don't feel comfy with it, then take her off." She said softly. "There's no has to about this, some people don't like to wear them, hell some people don't like them at all."

"No, she's comfy." Buffy turned to face her putting her hand on Owl's side.

"So did my girl chose shorts or no shorts..." Piper quizzed as she inched a little closer, her hand reaching over, under the sheet to Buffy's hip.

"No shorts." Buffy pressed a little closer so that Piper could feel. "Just the sheet."

Slowly and carefully Buffy felt as her lover traced her hand over the leather at Buffy's hip, trailing back and forth gently.

"So she feels comfy, anything else?" Piper moved her body up closer to Buffy's so that her breast grazed against the other Slayer's, her stomach touched Buffy's lightly. "Does she make you feel any…" Piper paused. "Different?" She asked carefully.

"Mmmm snug." Buffy shifted her hip so that her knee pressed against Piper's thigh. "And a bit silly to have, well you know." She stopped her hand cupping it over the other Slayer's ass. "Since I'm not a boy. You can open your eyes." She leaned in to kiss her.

"I was waiting for that." Piper kissed Buffy tenderly for a long moment and opened her eyes when they pulled their lips apart. "So, what do you want to do now baby?" She ran her hand around and then down the front of the leather harness, sliding her fingers lightly over the silicon shaft, down to the base, and then pressing it back against Buffy's body.

"I..." Buffy was going to attempt an answer when the pressure made her gasp in for air slightly. "Sorry?" She forgot the question surprised by the amount of sensation the simple move had caused. Piper smirked softly and leaned in kissing close to Buffy's ear.

"I asked what you wanted to do now baby." She whispered huskily, moving the base up and down a little.

Buffy found she was ignoring the question again as her hips moved without her asking against the pressure.

"I think..." She pressed forward wanting to kiss her lover again desperately, feel the press of their bodies together.

"Mmmm." Piper pressed up against Buffy's body as they kissed deeply, the taller Slayer's tongue instantly diving into Buffy's hot mouth, grazing around her teeth.

Buffy barely knew what she was doing as she pressed closer, her fingers curling into the soft skin and tense muscles of Piper's butt cheek as she pushed her mouth closer.

Smiling to herself as Buffy pressed closer, Piper breathed deeply through her nose, so to not break the deep kiss. She pulled her hand free of the silicon and very gradually she lifted her leg and placed it over Buffy's, pushing her body up a little so that her warm centre rested against the thick leather just above the metal 'O' ring holding the shaft in place.

"Piper?" Buffy questioned not sure from the positioning what her lover was doing. "I didn't... You didn't pick a flavour remember." She reminded subtly.

"Relax Buffy, we're just warming up." Piper pressed her lower body firmly against Buffy's. "The flavour doesn't become an issue until you really want me." She cocked and eyebrow and brought her hand to cup over Buffy's breast.

The new sensation made Buffy cough as her body pressed against Piper's hand.

"I feel warm." She admitted with a slight blush. "Leather rubbing... I feel like I'm going to dive into a Willow babble."

"Feel free, I'll be right here, lavishing your neck and well other things." She kissed Buffy's throat and squeezed her hand over the soft skin it covered.

Buffy didn't bother to utter a word as she tipped her head back a bit, enjoying the hot row of kisses that went down her skin as the ache in her nipple intensified as strong fingers pulled and pressured it. She ran her hand down Piper's thigh, flexing her fingers into it as her hips rocked slightly.

"That's it baby, feel the rhythm." Piper breathed words of encouragement onto Buffy's throat as she kissed and licked her way back. Her hand moving back and forth capturing the stiff peak of her lover's nipple between the webbing of her fingers and then squeezing her whole hand into the soft mound.

"God Piper!" Buffy moaned letting her body move more freely as she focused on the fire building between her legs.

"Feel good?" Piper breathed hotly again on Buffy's skin.

"Amazing." The Slayer nodded. "I don't know why... It's different from when you have her on." She admitted softly.

"Of course." Piper assured her gently. "That's because you're going to be taking me, you're going to be the one to make me squirm and pant for release." She drew her tongue in a wet line up Buffy's throat and over her chin, pulling back to press their lips together. "You're going to fuck me." She whispered, her eyes sparkling with desire.

"Can I..." Buffy pulled back her voice soft and a little unsure. "Can I make love to you?" It dipped down almost silent.

"Every day for as long as you like baby." Piper replied kissing her lightly. "And I want grape, when you're ready." She added looking loving at the other Slayer.

"You're addicted to the grape." Buffy found a laugh despite the serious emotions that were running through her body. "Can you put it on?"

"Of course." Piper slid her leg off from Buffy's body and rolled over softly, her arm reaching down to the small black box beside the bed. Picking it up she flicked it open and pulled out her chosen flavour, dropping the rest of the box on the floor as she turned back on her side to face Buffy. "This whole thing might be easier if we lost the sheet." She pointed out as she ripped open the small square packet.

"Okay." Buffy nodded feeling very exposed and vulnerable. She knew she shouldn't she knew this was Piper and the other Slayer had never done anything to warrant such a fear but it still shadowed her.

"No baby, it's okay, sex in sheets can be great to. Do you want top, bottom, or are you happier side by side?" Piper pulled the sheet over them again moving her hand down almost on automatic, finding the hard silicon and sliding the grape scented condom in place.

"You want to see don't you?" Buffy looked at her as the other Slayer worked.

"Not more than I want to see you enjoy this." Piper flicked her eyes up to smile at Buffy.

"You can take it off. It's okay." Buffy put forward feeling her bravery attempting to be strong but failing. "God I don't know why I'm feeling like such an idiot." She cursed herself.

"Buffy come on, it's okay, you're feeling just a little odd because this is new and you've never even contemplated it before, and because not every sexual experience you've had has been great." Piper smoothed her hand up Buffy's side. "The sheet is fine where the sheet is, it'll give me something to hold on to."

"Did you feel odd the first time?" Buffy questioned reaching up to run her fingers along Piper's shoulder trying to relax and forget what was going on for a moment.

"Oh yeah." Piper nodded. "And it was made worse by the fact that the first harness I had was elasticised nylon."

"Who did you wear it for?" Buffy smiled at the image, she couldn't imagine anything other than leather being effective.

"You so don't want to know the answer to that question." Piper chuckled. "It was for a party, I went as Superman, Nina insisted I matched all criteria." She tucked a blonde lock of hair behind Buffy's ear.

"Mmmm it sounds cute. Did Nina appreciate your effort?" Buffy slid her hand down exploring over the mounds of her lover's breasts as she relaxed.

"Yes, very much so, though God forbid I was a real boy, with the amount of attention she paid to it, stroking and everything." Piper moaned softly as her nipples stiffened a little more.

"Real boys can't stand that much attention." Buffy nodded as she teased more moving down to the hard peaks.

"Believe me I was struggling." Piper admitted.

"Did anyone else notice?" The Slayer wound her thumb around the nipple she was torturing.

"Oh only most of the rest of the party, I got close to twenty offers that night." Piper groaned as flares of pleasure pulsed through her.

"How many did you accept?" Buffy teased pushing her over onto her back, the split attention between their conversation and what was going on making her much more comfortable. She lowered her lips to where her fingers were sucking and licking.

"Just one." Piper nestled into to mattress panting lightly.

"Nina?" Buffy teased licking around faster.

"Oh God no, she was just my best friend!" Piper chuckled. "Don t ask why she spent all night rubbing my crotch."

"You're so called 'best friend' spent the whole night rubbing your crotch?" Buffy looked up laughing as she settled more over her lover, the silicon shaft pressing against Piper's thigh. "Are you sure you weren't more than friends?"

"Don't even tease me about that, every one thought we were, but no we weren't, we kissed a few times, and mmmmmm." Piper's voice faded as she felt the gentle slide of lubricated silicone against her thigh.

"You kissed your best friend and you don't think you were more than? I've never kissed Willow, ever!" Buffy teased licking across to the other nipple.

"You were straight." Piper argued arching up.

"And you and Nina were too eh?" Buffy grinned, feeling her body settling in closer as Piper spread her legs up and more open.

"I wasn't." Piper shook her head. "I've appreciated girls for a long while."

"I love that you're so confident." Buffy admitted looking down at her bringing herself up more so they were eye to eye. "I'm not sure what to do next." She admitted softly.

"What do you want to do?" Piper reached up and ran her fingertip over Buffy's shoulder.

"Make love to you." Buffy brushed their lips together.

"Then you might want to test I'm ready for you." The taller woman whispered.

"Test you're..." Buffy quirked an eyebrow and then smiled. "Oh test." She grinned as she slid her hand down, moving the silicone to one side as she curled her fingers through damp hair before she pressed two fingers in flicking over Piper's clit.

"Mmmmm ohhhhh Buffy, baby." Piper pushed her head back into the pillows as her body flexed up.

"I don't think you're ready yet." Buffy teased as her fingers swirled around the sensitive nub of flesh. "I should keep testing."

"Mmmm feel free." Piper's voice notched up a little. "God Buffy you are amazing."

"Let's not get into the amazing debate." The Slayer laughed as she swirled her fingers and dipped her head back down doing the same to a hard nipple.

"Mmmmahhhh." Piper shivered and moaned. "I want you." She breathed out.

"You want me." Buffy repeated slipping her hand back to grasp the silicon moving it in to nudge against the tall slayer's clit much as Piper had done to her many times.

"Oh sweet heaven, God Buffy you had no idea how good that feels." Piper caught her bottom lip with her teeth, sliding her legs further apart.

"I know how good it feels when you do it to me." Buffy swirled it in place, the round head pressing in a large area.

"Mmmm but I've done it before." Piper appraised.

"I'm trying to be a quick learner, I have a good teacher." Buffy smiled slipping it around a few more times before she moved it lower sliding it around soaked inner lips.

"Maybe you're just an excellent student." Piper moaned again here eyes narrowing slightly in pleasure.

"I never was with anything else, you must inspire me." Buffy worked to get her weight up on her knees, pulling them up to Piper's body as she continued to swirl. Bracing her one hand up she got herself in the best position before she pressed the slightly thicker head in just a little, guiding it carefully with her fingers.

"Oh yes Buffy," Piper moaned deeply. "That's so good."

"I don't want to hurt you." Buffy knew how silly the comment sounded since they were both Slayers. She eased her body down pressing a little deeper.

"You won't." Piper assured her. "Please Buffy, make love to me." She whispered.

"I want that." Buffy slowly pressed down all the way, feeling the way the pressure slowly eased as Piper's body accepted her. She moaned as their hips went flush together and slowly she began to pull back.

"That's it baby, mmmmmm God I needed you inside." Piper purred. "Don't pull too far back, they have a habit of slipping out." She warned softly.

"Okay." Buffy nodded, her hand still down between them as she guided to a point where she felt the pressure start to slip before she pressed back in.

"So good." Piper encouraged. "So good baby." She felt her body open more easily this time, eager to take her lover.

"You feel so good." Buffy moaned moving her hand back as she pressed in and began to pull out a bit again, shortening the move as she flexed her hips in and out.

"Oh... God... Yes..." Piper rocked beneath her. "God Buffy... so good." She wrapped her arms around the other Slayer holding her close, pressing her body up to her to meet the short thrusts. Buffy groaned as she watched the way that Piper was reacting, she pressed her hips down with a bit more force meeting the other Slayer's press up. "That's it baby, feel her, feel me, ooh!" Piper panted harder and faster. "Push baby." She encouraged.

Buffy didn't so much think about how she could change what she was doing as she did it. She pulled back and forth in longer faster strokes, pressing her knees under Piper's legs for leverage as she leaned her whole light frame into the strokes.

Piper panted harder her body rocking and pressing up against Buffy in perfect rhythm.

"Can I put my legs around you?" She asked before confining the other Slayer.

"Yes." Buffy groaned pressing and staying in close so that Piper could move.

The taller Slayer shifted just a little moving her legs to lock around Buffy's, pulling her lover close to her, pressing the now warm shaft deeper still. With a deeper groan Piper pushed up hard.

"God Piper..." Buffy groaned with her as she shifted her weight so that she could press down harder as their bodies rocked against one another.

"Okay?" Piper checked breathless as their pace sped up al little

"You feel... Unbelievable." The blonde vowed as they moved. She pushed up her upper body a bit so that she could use the leverage to lift them a little pressing as deep as she could.

"There you go." Piper growled. "God I've realised I've never done this as a slayer, with all that gives me. God Buffy, yes, more!"

"Lots of things that being a slayer makes different." Buffy moved faster, their motion making the bed rock on its base slightly.

"God I can't wait to discover them all." Piper grunted slightly as they moved more erratically. "Ahhhhhhh OHHH GOD!" The tall brunette bucked hard. "Ahhhhhhh, Ahhhhhhh BUFFFY! God… Yes… harder!" She panted.

Buffy pushed her knees into the mattress thrusting hard enough that she could feel her breasts sliding against Piper's. Piper felt her body shake and tighten around the hot silicone inside her, her legs gripping Buffy hard too, she pushed her back up in a hard arch.

"OH GOD!" She screamed more than loudly, her body releasing in a hot spasm.

Buffy watched amazed, trying to keep the rhythm up between them even as Piper's hips got more erratic and it was harder to make sure she didn't slip out. She kept her thrusts short, an easy task now that the muscles that gripped the silicone were tight and hard.

Piper gave up trying talk just letting her body completely release the passion that had built up. Then she dropped heavily onto the mattress, panting harder.

Buffy pulled to a quick stop still buried deep inside as she reached up to brush hair off Owl's forehead.

"You're so sexy." She grinned proudly.

"Says... the...girl...who just… did that." Piper couldn't string her words together properly.

"I had some expert help." Buffy leaned the short distance to kiss her a couple of times lightly not impeding her breathing. The lean shifted the angle of the silicone inside the taller woman a little making the Slayer moaned. "How is your stomach?" Buffy checked softly staying still again.

"Feels fine, kinda fluttery." Owl smiled. "You rock my world baby." She chuckled. "You don't have to stay still."

"I mean your wound." Buffy laughed at her purposely circling her hips. "Do you want to get on top?" She asked with a smile.

"Oh so my gorgeous girl's not tired?" Piper smiled brightly.

"Not at all." She shook her head. "Just getting started." She licked her lips.

"How exactly did you stay single for any length of time, when you are such a Goddess in bed and great at all the other important things too?" Piper grinned and leaned pulling Buffy into a hug, but also rolling them over, her legs still locked around the other Slayer's body so that the silicone shaft stayed deep inside her as they rolled. "Oh fuck that felt good." She groaned pushing up off Buffy's body when the Slayer was against the mattress. Piper's long legs now wedged under Buffy's body.

"Show off." Buffy laughed at her lover as she moved. She didn't bother with the other question, it wasn't something she wanted to examine at the moment, the last thing she wanted were any negative thoughts encroaching on the good feelings she had fuelling her mind and body.

"Hey I can't take all the credit, you rolled with me, a lot of people would have pushed against my move and slipped out." Piper winked.

"I don't want out." Buffy shook her head reaching up her hands to cup Piper's breasts.

"So she feels okay then?" Piper smirked using her back to pull her upright making her gasp as the penetrating angle changed completely. She took a second or two to adjust before sitting more or less up right, her back arched slightly pressing her breasts out for Buffy to hold.

"Mmmm wonderful, now I know why you love to wear her." Buffy nodded kneading the flesh she held.

"After all the shit dies down, we'll get you your own." Piper moved both hands and drew her fingertips over Buffy's collarbone.

"Wouldn't that be a little butchy for the femme?" Buffy grinned.

"We'll get yours in pink." Piper winked. "So, you ready to be ridden?" She added wickedly

"Can't wait." Buffy admitted urged her to start moving.

"You might regret that." Piper winked again and pushed slightly forward beginning the hot, passionate loving process again.

-x-

Bethany listened to the cross grumble that escaped Zoë's mouth and then watched the pen her lover was holding flicked up into the air to land on the bed. She turned from her place on the chair beside the dressing table and smiled at the Canadian.

"Not going well?" She asked softly.

"Not going well. I mean this is an entirely different spell if there is only one caster. I have to do balance, aura projection, spell maintenance, not to even start in about backwash and rebound." She shook her head. "This must sound totally boring for you." She gave a lopsided smile to her lover.

"Weird maybe, boring no." Bethany shook her head. "Maybe a break from it would be good, we could go for a walk."

"Around the back yard? Are the SIT's still practising?" Zoë leaned back and stretched her arms putting the books and notepad on the table beside her.

The small English woman pushed up and moved to the window, pulling back the lace curtain looking down onto the yard below.

"No the SIT's are probably munching, I can't imagine the energy they must expend." She dropped the drape back into place.

"Neither can I, or the Slayers for that matter." Zoë pushed up and moved over hugging her from behind. "You look very beautiful this afternoon."

"Mmmm I feel it." Bethany leaned back and relaxed as she felt the taller woman rock them gently. "You look beautiful too, though stressed, and almost cross with certain 'older' members of this little group. Run it by me again… Piper, Buffy and Faith are slayers, right? The rest of the little gang are possibly going to be slayers apart from Willow and Tara who are witches, and the two other Brits are, what was it again, watching?"

"Watchers, from a Council dedicated to helping the chosen slayers fight evil. I mean the two of them from what I know are nice but they don't have the most broad perspectives on things." Zoë rocked her slightly. "Everything is this or that, they don't look at all the other bits and pieces."

"Well I'm sure they have a tough job." Beth leaned back a little heavier. "So remind me again, how my beloved Zee got involved in all of this."

"M, the leader of my coven in Italy needed to have a book brought to Tara. We couldn't trust it to just anyone so I well volunteered to play FedEx." Zee laughed lightly. "You know me, all heart and no head when it comes to a fight."

"Yes." Bethany nodded with a soft sigh. "So, walk?" She offered again.

"Definitely." Zoë pulled back a little to let her move. "Where do you want to go after this? You'd love Italy."

"Do you need to go back there, to train more?" Beth crossed to the dresses and pushed her feet into soft pink sneakers.

"I don't know. I learned a lot but there is always so much more to learn. Where do you want to go?" Zoë questioned again.

"Well I've not been back to England for a long while." Beth mused as she walked with Zoë down the landing and through the house to the back door.

"I miss it, need a good feeding of fish and chips." Zoë nodded as she opened the back door for her.

"You hate fish and chips." Bethany laughed as she stepped onto the concrete path that led up the garden.

"I know but I haven't had any for so long I miss bitching about how I hate them." Zoë laughed and skipped ahead a bit.

"Then let me remind you," Bethany paused and then flipped into a fake Canadian accent. "Ewwww! These are gross, gross I say, I mean look…" She wiggled the imaginary chip. "Look at the fat on that Ewwww!" Zoë stopped laughing so hard she almost buckled. "Oh you've so missed my Canadian accent." Beth stopped and turned laughing softly, still wiggling the invisible chip.

"Do more of me." Zoë kept laughing.

"Mmmm." Beth contemplated for a moment. "Beth, Bethie, I'm hungareeeeee, hungareeeeee." She chuckled rubbing her tummy.

Zoë kept laughing falling down to sit on the grass watching the show.

"I could do my British impression." Zoë grinned. "Bloody hell, I can't believe that anyone would dare be so rude." She put on a very bad accent.

"You are so bad at that, I can't believe after all this time you've not improved." Bethany chuckled. "I mean what is that about, eh?" She winked.

"I have no idea." Zoë responded as properly as she could. "I guess I'm just a friggin Canuck eh?" She grinned putting on a thicker accent.

"You are and I love you." Beth beamed as she leapt down on top of the Canadian, her knees on the grass, her light frame straddling her lover.

"Not as much as I love you." Zoë reached up hugging her closer.

"So you think you're going to beat this, what ever 'this' is?" Bethany asked her smile disappearing and her tone falling serious.

"Yes." Zoë nodded just as serious. "Want to know how I know?"

"Yes please." Beth nodded looking deep into her lover's eyes.

"Because I have you back in my life and nothing on Earth or that the Hellmouth can spit out is going to ruin our second chance." Her voice was honest and firm.

Bethany smiled a little again and leaned her head down against Zoë's chest.

"Is it going to be terrible? Like... I don't know, like a war or something?" She whispered, hearing her own voice shake.

"I think so, but we won't be anywhere near it baby. You don't have to worry about that. The Slayers and SIT's will be doing the fighting. We'll just be backup, probably holed up here with Dawn and anyone still injured." Zoë assured her. "They won't want us to fight, we're more of a worry than a help. I'll probably be in charge of keeping the shield up to offer some protection."

"But I have to do something." Beth frowned. "I can't just be here like some, I don't know, lame duck."

"You're going to be with me, that makes you the most important thing of all." Zoë hugged her. "My inspiration."

"To you maybe." Beth's brow was furrowed, her thoughts obviously troubled.

"What's wrong baby? This isn't your fight." She offered softly. "No one here expects you to do anything like pick up a sword or start throwing spells around."

"Then just what am I supposed to do?" Beth sighed. "Everyone else is rushing around doing something"

"Look sexy and make me drool." Zoë squeezed her hands into Beth's butt.

"It's not enough." Beth pushed up and away frowning hard.

"Beth, what do you want to do?" Zoë frowned as she moved away.

"I don't know." Beth turned and frowned too. "Oh Zee I'm sorry." She sighed heavily, coming back over. "It's just... it's just its all too much like being with Holly, its like I'm on this rollercoaster to doom and I can't get off."

"I'm sorry, I never wanted to do that too you." Zoë pulled up to stand. "I swear if I could get you out of here and keep you safe I would but this is the only place I have a hope of keeping you safe."

"But... but maybe it wouldn't come after me, you know, maybe it was just trying to make you more afraid." Beth rubbed her hand on her forehead.

"I can't risk that it was a ruse Bethie, I can't." Zoë shook her head firmly. "Would you if something told you it was going to hunt me down and kill me?"

"You know I would try and stop it, make you safe." Beth frowned harder. "I just can't do nothing, there must be something, anything that I can help with."

"I know this is going to sound silly but I'm sure everyone would die for like one of your amazing dinner party meals. I mean you see the shit the girls have been eating, something nice and healthy to keep up their energy." Zoë thought of one of Beth's talents.

"You're suggesting I cook?" Beth arched an eyebrow.

"Only because you are the best chef in the universe." Zoë smiled at her.

"In your opinion." Beth smiled back.

"Beth, you see these girls. Most of them aren't even out of high school. And the Watcher's aren't much help. They need a nice sweet older sister and I know how good you are at being there for people." Zoë moved closer to her.

"Right so you want them sleeping in our room, and me reading them bedtime stories huh?" Beth teased.

"No!" Zoë had a flash of stern resolve come over her face. "Only me and you in bed, in the room, in the near vicinity."

"Calm down." Beth laughed. "Just you and me in the bed for sure."

"Mmmm good." Zoë hugged her. "We could go test it?" She grinned.

"I thought we were walking." Bethany pointed out. "You have yet to tell me what kind of fuscias those are." She pointed to a purple flowered bush.

"Pretty ones?" Zoë offered with a smirk.

"You're terrible." The slight woman shook her head.

"Tell me they aren't pretty?" The Canadian countered.

"Of course they are pretty." Beth sighed tenderly. "I give up."

"Go on tell me what they are." Zoë hugged her from behind.

"Oh so as well as cook, big sister and counsellor, I'm horticulturist." Beth leaned back again their position similar to how it had been in the bedroom.

"Yes, you are an amazing woman of many, many talents." Zoë kissed her throat. "You're also are a brilliant philosopher and an amateur etymologist."

"You haven't added the other bit." Beth arched her eyebrow.

"Goddess in bed?" Zoë whispered lustily into her ear.

"I was beginning to think I was losing my touch." Beth breathed out.

"Never." Zoë assured her kissing her ear.

"So come on, walk and talk, I so missed the sound of your voice." Beth encouraged her along.

"What do you want me to talk about? We should go house hunting up near Wells. You love being by the seaside." Zoë slipped her hand into Beth's.

"MMM steady on there Zee, that's soundly like a commitment." Beth chuckled as they began a gentle stroll.

"Hey I've been good and haven't asked you to marry me." Zoë winked at her.

"You'd better not either." Beth warned with mock sternness.

"Why not? You'd turn me down?" Zoë checked.

"I might." Beth teased.

"The horror." Zoë laughed.

"Yeah you think the First is bad, you ask me on the wrong day and you'll see what evil looks like." Beth laughed a little harder.

"Oh and what makes a good day?" Zoë checked.

"I'm not going to tell you that am I?" Beth shook her head and walked out in front their hands still held together.

"Well would I need to have a ring?" Zoë offered the first criteria.

"Maybe." Beth swung their stretched hands a little.

"Would you want a big party where I surprised you and asked you?" The Canadian questioned expecting a no on this one.

"Mmmm maybe." Beth grinned.

"You going to even give me a hint?" Zoë laughed.

"No." The young English woman laughed and then moved back close to her lover. "Now tell me more about the garden."

"It's pretty." Zoë laughed looking around. "I think those are roses." She winked.

-x-

"Hey come on you two love birds get out of my training grounds!" Faith's voice called brightly to Zoë and Beth as she led the group of potentials out into the slightly dimming daylight.

"We booked the room." Zoë teased back.

"Yeah well it's that way with a wooden door on it, sparing the rest of us from the sights, if not the sounds!" Faith chuckled as the group spaced out. "Hey unless you want to give the group a lesson, Tonsil hockey 101."

A number of the gathered SIT's clapped slightly.

"I'm Canadian Faith, don't tempt me to show you up about anything vaguely related to hockey." Zoë grinned as she put her arm around Beth. "Come on baby, I think the Slayer wants her backyard back."

"We could stay and watch." Beth offered.

"We could." Zoë nodded up to the chairs on the back porch.

"No way, this isn't a spectator sport." Faith called to them. "Get your asses up and join in." She laughed. "No wait, forget that I don't want to be explaining to Buffy how we broke you two."

"I think that's a challenge baby." Zoë laughed and looked at Beth. "You ready to prove her wrong?"

"Shouldn't we tell her we've both studied..." Beth began to object.

"No, let her learn the hard way." Zoë winked at her moving over to get into line with the SIT's.

"Right ladies." Faith clapped her hands together. "We're just going to do a few limbering up exercise, don't worry Maple and Britney if you can't bend as far as us."

"Okay straight down ladies, palms flat on the grass." Faith demonstrated quickly.

"Like this?" Zoë bent down her body reaching her fingertips. "Or like Britney?" She glanced sideways knowing Beth would have her hands down to her wrists on the ground.

"Okay, so you're supple, haven't met a dyke yet who isn't." Faith couldn't help be slightly impressed.

"Faith, watch the lip." Zoë stood up and gave her a short head shake.

"Believe it or not Maple, that was a compliment." Faith grinned. "Okay up and stretch and shake out, then its jogging time." She moved her body easily into a soft bouncy jog and everyone started to imitate her. "There you go I bet you're feeling better already, shaking off the calories from those extra cookies." Faith chuckled brightly.

"You are the most annoying personal trainer Faith." Zoë laughed as she jogged.

"I'm taking that as a compliment." Faith winked. "Okay, when you're feeling nice and ready to work, get into your pairs. You think you can take on Britney there Maple?"

"I can." She nodded.

"Right you worked on vaulting earlier, we're going to be looking at high jumping and low ducking to avoid kick and staff, sword swing attacks." Faith looked around at the assembled pairs of women. "And I would be about to demonstrate if I had a partner..."

"I'll help." Dawn stepped out from the house.

"Yeah okay D, bring it on, over here." Faith waved her out. Dawn moved over and got in a ready stance. "Now, the point of this exercise is at no point in time to touch your partner, the attacker you're to give no pre-empt to whether your strike is going to be low or high. For now we're just practising which means no weapons." Faith turned to Dawn. "So if as attacker you go high..." Faith flung her arm out at Dawn's head level not yet bringing it in. "As defender you duck low." She paused and looked into brown eyes. "Ready?" She received a nod of confirmation.

Sweeping her arm across at about half slayer speed, Faith began the collision course for the youngest Summers head. Dawn ducked down and away from the swing.

"Just like that." Faith smiled. "And if as attacker you goes low…" She struck out a leg. Dawn jumped up over it coming back down to find her balance quickly. "Just like that." She grinned broadly. "Now remember no contact, if either of you come into contact with the other, sit down, take five and then get back at it." She moved over to Dawn and slung her arm comfortably around her shoulders.

"You could help me practice." Dawn smiled at the Slayer that hung off her.

"If you like." Faith nodded. "Okay guys, partner with the name that comes first in the alphabet, is the attacker first, switch when I call switch, got it?" She turned and pulled away from Dawn. "You sure you wanna do this?"

"I need to be sharp." Dawn nodded putting up her hands.

"Yeah I guess you do, keeping an eye on the spellcasters here you're going to need to be prepped." Faith agreed.

"I'm not staying here, I'm coming to fight." Dawn threw a punch at her knowing Faith would be able to block it.

Dawn's fist collided with Faith's hand, which closed around it and held it firm.

"No, you're not." She said quietly.

"I am." Dawn twisted and hit her in the thigh with a sidekick.

"What does your sister say to that?" Faith's hand flashed out and caught Dawn's foot, upending the dark-haired girl and sending her on her back to the grass in a controlled move.

"I don't care what she thinks." Dawn moved to press up to stand again coming at Faith with a series of punches and kicks.

"You should, she's your sister." Faith evaded them all, ending with a jump that landed her on Dawn's other side. She kicked up her leg to bring her boot level with Dawns chest, holding it a few centimetres short.

Probably to Faith's surprise Dawn had managed to step in around the kick and nailed her with a knee to the inner thigh making her stance shaky.

"That kinda hurt mini D." Faith dropped her other leg and steadied herself.

"I thought we were practising." Dawn's face was still serious as she kept her hands up ready.

"Okay we are, but then we do what the rest do." Faith brushed down her pants. "No contact, you're attacker first."

"You're the Slayer, why are we no contact?" Dawn dropped her arm for a moment.

"Everyone else is non contact." Faith pointed out, nodding at the group, a couple of who were sitting down obviously having failed to duck or jump "You wanna hit me?"

"Not to hurt you but to learn, the Bringers aren't going to sit down if I hit them." Dawn argued.

"True they're not." Faith nodded, as she looked at the other woman noticing almost for the first time how much like her sister. No, how much of a fit young woman she was. "Okay then, lets go full contact. Get me on the floor if you can."

"I promise not to hurt you." Dawn grinned as she shook out her arms and bounced in spot.

"You wish mini D." Faith grinned.

Dawn came in close knowing the Slayer would give her the leeway before she threw a blatant punch at Faith.

"Cute." Faith let the lunch land on her side. "But that's the only freebie you're getting."

"I don't want freebies." Dawn swept her leg around attempting a judo flip.

"I know." Faith jumped and flipped landing behind Dawn putting her arm around the tall girl's neck.

Dawn did the only move she knew falling limp down and out of the closing grasp, it left her vulnerable on her knees, but she pushed back through clawing at the ground to grapple between Faith's legs. She reached up and punching into the back of one of the Slayer's knees wildly trying to put her off balance.

"Okay, no." Faith lifted the punched leg and span, reaching down she lifted Dawn easily off the floor her arm around her waist. "Don't panic react." She instructed putting her down.

"Sorry." Dawn nodded seeing the mistake. "I didn't get the angle on the flip."

"It's okay, and no you didn't. Also I had you around the throat, but I didn't have your arms controlled, see." Faith gently got them back into the position. "Now you could easily have brought this elbow." With her free hand Faith tapped Dawn's arm. "Back into my ribs."

"But that would just make you squeeze harder." Dawn questioned seeing the move but not sure if it was best.

"Not if you got the right point." Faith shook her head.

"Where am I aiming?" Dawn questioned turning to look at Faith in the close quarters.

Faith suddenly stopped and looked down at Dawn, her breath catching a little.

"You're serious about this aren't you." She dropped her voice low.

"I want to learn to really fight, fight to win." Dawn nodded softly. "Not to survive or run, to win."

"Then right here, with the gang, isn't the right place or time." Faith dropped her grip.

"But you'll teach me?" Dawn turned to look at her not moving away.

"Yeah I'll teach you." Faith nodded.

-x-

"Hey Maple." Faith called to the Canadian as the training group spilt up and began to filter back into the house. The dark haired Slayer jogged over and nodded over to Bethany who was just going through the back door chatting with Flick. "You two can handle yourself pretty well." She made the comment casually.

"Yeah well sometimes its not easy being out and proud, best to you know be able to look after yourself, and…" Zoë looked after the English girl too. "The ones you love."

"It's good that you can." Faith nodded in agreement. "Because we're gonna be you know kinda relying on you to keep your eye on the two little witches. I mean yeah we're planning on keeping the action way away from here, but you know plans don't always run smoothly."

"I hear ya." Zoë nodded. "I'm going to be where ever Beth is, I kinda got her into this, so I'll be sticking with her."

"Of course, you're okay Maple." Faith paid her about the biggest compliment she knew.

"You too, if a little easy going with the lip and the sexual blatancy." The Canadian smiled slowly.

"Hey I kinda grew into the 'say it like it is' pattern at an early age." Faith shrugged. "I figured I'm too old to change now."

"You're never too old to change Faith, no one is." Zoë smiled again and then pushed off towards the house.

Faith watched her go and look through the kitchen window, where some of the SIT's had gathered mainly around Bethany, they seemed to be talking about menus from what the Slayer's sensitive hearing was able to pick out. With a soft smile Faith shook her head and began a slow walk of the perimeter.

-x-


	23. Chapter 23

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Twenty Three.**

"Come on in Dawn, just because the door's closed doesn't mean that you can't come in." Faith smiled as the timid knock came on her basement door, if it wasn't for her Slayer hearing she probably wouldn't have heard it at all.

"You might not want company." Dawn pushed it open and made sure to close it tight behind her before she moved down the stairs.

"You're not company D, you're like, well someone who doesn't need to have an invite. Here look I'll even tidy for you." Faith picked up a pile of weapons and leather from the chair and dumped it on the bed. "A seat just for you."

"Thanks." Dawn smiled and sat down. "I wasn't sure when you wanted to do the other training." She asked almost immediately.

"You're eager. We only came up with the idea, what, two and a half hours ago?" Faith arched an eyebrow as she sat on the bed.

"But going on the First's schedule we should be attacked at three am." Dawn pointed out firmly. "I want to be ready to do more than just run away."

"I don't think it's so much a schedule Dawn as you know, opportunity." Faith sat up bit and glanced at the small travel alarm clock on the side. "Well, okay, its ten o'clock, what do you want to learn first?"

"How to kill Bringers." Dawn stood up anxiously.

"Don't pick something too easy now will you D." Faith watched her stand up, "Look…" She said her tone softening slightly. "You've got good physique, and you've inherited your sister's sense of timing and keen awareness so that puts you two steps up from your average Joe." She tried to encourage her. "I've seen you wield a sword, and various other weapons, you can defend yourself. All this training is about is honing those skills. D you weren't born to be a slayer, you're just you know, you."

"I'm a key, that has to give me something." Dawn bit the words.

Faith took a breath and stood up, she crossed the room and put her hand on the younger woman's shoulder.

"You're Dawn, you're not some dumb ass key, you're Dawn." She stated firmly. "And anything you have, you have, yeah it might be from something in your past, but hey if you want to take that line, I'm not Faith, I'm just 'The X slayer." She arched an eyebrow, looking across into brown eyes.

"But you were a girl before you were a Slayer, you had a life, everything in my life is made up." Dawn moved over and sat on the bed.

"You know some of us, well me, would like it if the past was something just made up rather than having to live with the fact that actually it was all real and taking the responsibility for screwing it all up." The dark Slayer admitted.

"I'm sorry." Dawn looked down. "Maybe this is a bad idea. I just... I'm sick of feeling like a little girl."

"Any one with eyes can see you're not a little girl Dawn." Faith smiled gently. "And being able to fight won't make people think you're grown up, well not on its own any way." She pointed out. "Being an adult is about the way you handle and approach everything, not just one facet."

"But even when I do that no one looks at me like an adult, Buffy still thinks I'm like six." Dawn leaned back reaching up to rub her face. "I mean even when I talked to her about Owl she was acting like me sayin was like I'd just slapped her."

"The fact that your sister is a stuck up tight ass has nothing to do with how accurately she views you, that's just her." Faith grinned. "So you talked to her about her and Birdy eh? Good for you."

"I mean I love her, but I don't want to be a stuck up tight ass like her." Dawn bent up on her elbows looking at the Slayer. "I mean it's not that big a deal right, I saw a documentary that says humans are meant to be bisexual anyway."

"Preaching to the converted here Dawnie." Faith smirked. "And no worries you're not stuck up tight ass material." She assured her. "You choose to be in my company for a start." She winked at the other woman.

"I like your company." Dawn smiled at her. "So you want to play poker again?"

"I thought you came here to train." Faith raised her eyebrow.

"You didn't seem to want to." Dawn pushed up. "Come on then. Show me something, start small." She peeled off the thicker sweater she was wearing to reveal a tank top that left a strip of her stomach exposed.

Faith pulled off her denim over shirt putting her in a black strap tight fitting top, which was tucked into her dark black jeans.

"Okay, something small, right how about we go for the duck and jump thing we were doing in work out, but add weapons." Faith offered.

"Cool." Dawn immediately went over to the bed and picked a short sword out of the chaos.

"Okay," Faith moved over and picked up a long handled axe. "So you can use the furniture to jump on, but not dive under, invariably diving under shit is a bad idea, unless there is more than one way out from under it or you have no other choice possible left."

"Don't get stuck anywhere you can't get out of check." Dawn gripped the sword with both hands and got ready.

"So you wanna be attacker or defender first?" Faith asked twirling the axe purely for effect.

"Attacker." Dawn nodded as she stepped closer and made a practice thrust at the air with the sword. "Just don't let me hurt you really." She whispered as she did.

"Don't worry D, I won't." Faith smiled and bounced lightly on her feet. "Whenever you're ready Dynamo."

"Here I come." Dawn locked her jaw and moved in taking a side swipe which she saw Faith easily block before she twirled and tried to thrust at her.

Faith jumped sideways spinning the axe, catching the sword blade in the twirl and pulling it from Dawn's rather loose grasp. Landing on the balls of her feet, Faith stopped the spinning weapon and pointed to the sword.

"Hold her a little tighter." She nodded for Dawn to pick it up. "It's a sword not a pencil, if you can't keep it in your hand it's useless."

"Okay." Dawn picked it up tightening her grip before she made another series of fast hard strikes at the Slayer.

This time Faith had to work a little faster at blocking the speedy strikes, still managing eventually to better her though and pin the younger woman's sword down on the floor with her foot.

"Okay now when your opponent has your weapon, and they are bigger and stronger than you, let it go." She advised.

Dawn let go and improvising she moved to tackle Faith, striking her in the throat with her forearm hoping to knock her down. Faith dropped her axe and coughed, completely surprised by the move, she took a step back off Dawn's sword, coughing more as she rubbed her throat.

"Oh God Faith, I'm sorry." Dawn moved forward trying to soothe her. "I just though... I'm so stupid."

"No, no it was a good move D." Faith dropped her hand from her throat and put it on Dawn's shoulder squeezing it a little. "A great move." She slipped her hand around onto the other woman's upper arm and rubbed gently for a second or two before pulling her hand back almost too quickly.

"So a move I should repeat on some stupid Bringer?" Dawn smiled at the touch reaching up to rub Faith's throat.

"Yeah but don't offer to rub it better for them afterwards." Faith smiled and let the brown haired woman touch her throat for a few light caresses of her fingertip, before closing her hand over Dawn's, pulling it back. "Great, so it looks like you learned some things." She smiled backing up and bending down to get her axe.

"What else can I learn?" Dawn moved to pick up her sword.

"Who knows what tomorrow's going to teach you D?" Faith carried her axe and stowed it neatly behind the chair.

"Otherwise known as lesson over eh?" Dawn moved over and sat on the bed.

"Come on by the time you get showered and in bed it's gonna be nearly twelve." Faith reasoned. "Get a few hours before that attack you're predicting."

"I'm not tired." Dawn shook her head. "Can't I hang out here anyway?"

"Dawn, why would you wanna hang around in my room? I'm pretty sure it smells of leather and possibly laundry, not to mention that dead Spike smell I spend hours trying to get rid of." Faith sniffed and made a face.

"I don't smell anything bad." Dawn shook her head. "And do I really want to spend the night listening to everyone else having sex?" She said bluntly. "Buffy and Owl, Willow and Tara, Anya and Xander, even Giles and Sandra, not to mention Zoë and her girlfriend. All the houses are full of it."

"Okay so to put it bluntly you want to stay here because I have zero action going on?" Faith chuckled at the honesty.

"Unless you've found someone to have action with, yes." Dawn smiled at her. "You don't have to entertain me. I just want to hang out."

"Why don't you grab a shower, I'll make milkshakes, and meet you on the couch?" Faith offered the compromise.

"Cool." Dawn hopped up.

"See you there." Faith laughed at just how enthusiastically Dawn moved up and out of the basement.

-x-

Zoë watched the redhead as she read down the page in front of her. She could see the way green eyes narrowed the slight flash of white as she chewed on her lip as she read down further. She anxiously sat down finally beside Willow on the couch waiting for any comment.

"How did you?" Willow flipped back and forth between the three pages of writing. "I mean... this is..."

"I think I factored in everything." Zoë leaned forward a bit watching her. "Do you see any holes?"

"No, Zoë, what I mean is this should have taken you months to work out. You've mixed four different spells, balanced them and managed to work in a viable diffusion." She poked at the different areas.

"The hint in the combat magic helped." Zoë shrugged. "And the diffusion was the easy bit, it's that which I need you to look at." She pointed to a middle portion. "I can't think of any other way, there has to be a pre-empt spell. Has to be a conjuring of alignment and at least a twelve-hour lag between the start and then the secondary spell. I tried it every other way but it wouldn't have the strength."

"No, no it all makes sense. The pre-empt singles out the spellcaster, the alignment begins to build the being power font and then the conjuring solidifies the spell." Willow nodded her agreement.

"Singles out the spellcaster and does preparation on the crystals used for the final conjuring, without it I can't even begin to find a way to meld crystals like that." Zoë smiled. "Minus using a blow torch."

"Messy." Willow laughed. "I think we should get Giles to do the pre-empt as soon as possible." She nodded. "You really did great Zoë."

"Thanks, I mean being around two people who are as powerful as you and Tara I have a lot to live up too." Zoë shrugged.

"Oh Goddess no, there is no competition." Willow shook her head. "You need to find your own place within the magic, you're own talents. I thought I had found mine but I had so much to learn."

"I heard my name." Rubbing her eyes, Tara wandered into the room dropping a kiss on Willow's head before slipping onto the cushion beside her.

"Willow was just being kind and looking over the spell I came up with." Zoë smiled at the blonde. "I have her seal of approval."

"That's great, though Mr. Giles will need to study it in and out and then in again, you both know that don't you?" Tara laughed gently as she reached out curling her finger in red hair.

"I wouldn't expect him to trust me." Zoë laughed.

"He'll want to check all the translations too." Willow nodded smirking.

"He'll want to check our outfits on the day we make the move." Faith's voice called from the doorway as the dark haired Slayer strode in. "Good morning ladies, I just came over to find you Maple."

"Morning." Zoë turned to look at her. "What's up?"

"It's no good you have to get rid of her." Faith looked at the Canadian and shook her head.

"What's no good?" Zoë looked at her confused.

"That English bird, she has to go." Faith leaned on the doorframe.

"Why?" The Canadian stood up, her tone indignant to the suggestion.

"Because have you seen what she's making my SIT's for breakfast?" Faith laughed at the Canadian's immediate defence of her lover.

"She was making crepes as far as I know." Zoë shrugged.

"Yeah and the rest, there are waffles and hash browns, omelettes and bacon, and for the love of God she's baking bread!" The dark Slayer threw up her arms.

"Okay gotta go." Zoë grinned and moved to the door. "I'm not missing out on fresh homemade bread. Is she making me quick jam?" She pressed passed Faith.

"You see that's exactly what happened when I told the SITs what she was doing." Faith laughed and shook her head.

"Faith, you know if you asked her really nice I'm sure she'd make you one of the colossal bacon and egg sandwiches you like, the yolk running all over the place." Zoë teased.

"Too right, I put my order in already." Faith chuckled. "Oh and she said to say to you the word 'Molasses'."

"Molasses?" The Canadian's face lit up. "I really gotta go, I'm not sharing that with anyone." She raced out of the house.

"What is molasses?" Willow questioned.

"Don't ask me she had this jar in her hand and a big frying pan." Faith shrugged. "And something that looked like bread dough."

"Tara?" She looked at her lover.

"I really have to go too." Tara grinned, planting another kiss on Willow's head before she moved to the door. "Maybe Beth needs so help with all that eating... I mean cooking."

"Faith I think whatever this molasses is, we better get some soon." Willow stood up to follow her.

"I'm thinking Canadian." Faith guessed. "How good could it be?"

"Okay more for us." Willow rushed passed her to follow everyone else out.

"And I thought the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, not a bunch of young fit women." Faith shouted as she turned and followed laughing softly.

-x-

Dawn hung around the doorway to the basement, neither Owl or her sister had been seen since breakfast, Sandra and Anya were giving the SIT's a pep talk about Bringer and Uber anatomy and all the Slayers had officially been given the morning off. She had a bit of a wait but finally the door swung open as Buffy came up carrying empty coffee cups.

"Dawn?" She looked at her sister. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just..." Dawn dug her hands in her pockets. "Waiting for you."

"Oh, what's up?" Buffy moved towards the kitchen figuring that Dawn would follow her.

"Is now a good time?" Dawn did follow very slowly.

"Yeah, what do you need?" Buffy put the cups in the sink.

"To talk." Dawn said quietly.

"About what?" Buffy turned looking at her and reached out trying to connect a bit with her sister as she rubbed her hand down Dawn's arm.

"Stuff, sister stuff." Dawn pulled her hands out of her pockets and fiddled with the button on her sleeve. Buffy nodded waiting for her to continue. "I was hoping we could, you know, maybe go to your room." She glanced at the basement door.

"Um okay, I think Owl was getting ready to go tinker with her bike." Buffy moved back to the basement door. Ever since they'd managed to tow the bike back Owl had been obsessing about the mechanical beast.

"No, no I mean if you two are having couple time, it's okay. I can go find Faith and train some more." Dawn lagged behind again.

"Come on it's fine." Buffy motioned for her to go down.

"No, I mean don't you need to go warn Owl…" She checked nervously.

"It's fine Dawn." Buffy shook her head moving down past her sister to see Owl putting her boots on. "Make sure you and Faith don't waste the whole day on that thing." She teased moving over to make the bed.

"Okay baby. Hi there Dawn." Piper looked up as the teenager moved to the top of the stairs.

"Dawn, are you coming down or what?" Buffy prompted her.

"Yes, okay." Dawn jogged down the stairs.

"Okay getting the sisters talk time vibe." Piper laughed softly looking between them.

"I think Dawn wants to see if we can move the milkshake machine here from the Double Meat." Buffy fluffed a pillow.

"Have fun you two." Piper waved as she ran up the stairs, only to turn on the top step and jog back down. "I love you." She moved back to Buffy and kissed her cheek.

"You too." Buffy added softly.

"Later." She waved again and ran back up the stairs leaving this time and pulling the door closed.

"So Dawnie what's up?" Buffy sat down on the bed.

"I have a problem." Dawn admitted shifting her weight from one hip to the other.

"What kind of problem?" Buffy motioned for her to sit.

"You and Owl seem to be getting on well." Dawn sidetracked as she slowly made a lap of her room, taking the long way to get to the bed.

"Yeah." Buffy smiled punching her hand into the pillow to fluff it.

"So how is it?" She asked quietly.

"How is what?" Buffy asked her not understanding.

"Being with Owl." Dawn felt her cheeks heat a little.

"Dawnie, I so don't think you should be asking me that." She saw her sister's cheeks blush and she stood up.

"Buffy I am nearly eighteen, it's just a question." Dawn objected. "I wasn't asking for intimate details."

"I know, but you're my little sister." Buffy objected back.

"Buffy who am I supposed to talk to about this type of thing if I don't talk to you?" She looked at the blonde, her unhappiness at Buffy's dismissal evident.

"What do you want to know Dawn?" Buffy sat back down looking at her and trying to keep her flared reactions in check.

"I think I'm in love." Dawn took a breath and her eyes scanned around the room before she finally settled on her sister.

"In love?" The Slayer's mouth dropped open. "I mean in love." She tried to relax and not put such emphasis on the words. "With who?" She followed up immediately.

"A girl." Dawn's confidence began to wane as she saw the tension creeping into her sister's shoulders.

"A girl?" Buffy repeated almost stupidly. "Thank God, now I don't have to get Andrew blood on my boots." She thought over her options. "Wait a girl, you mean like a girl here now?"

Dawn's eyes again flicked off her sister and scanned around the room before finally feeling the way Buffy's stare was fixed on her she nodded. Quickly Buffy went through the possible SIT's.

"Alice?" Buffy thought of the youngest one. She was cute enough the blonde decided, minus the fact she still was a bit obsessed with cuddly toys and ballet.

"Hello? Alice is like sixteen." Dawn frowned hard.

"Oh... mmmmmm... Jo?" Buffy tried again aiming a little older in the SIT ranks.

"Totally straight." Dawn shook her head firmly.

"Flick?" Buffy quirked an eyebrow. She'd got the 'gay vibe' from her as Willow would say but she was inseparable from Beatrix.

"I don't really want to scrape it out with Bea, thanks all the same." Dawn again shook her head.

"Georgia?" Buffy tried another name.

"Are you just going to go through all of the potentials?" Dawn stopped the guessing game.

"I'm trying to figure out who Dawn. You could make it easy and just tell me." Buffy urged her sister to give her something.

"Faith." Dawn whispered dropping her head, she didn't want to see the look on her sister's face when she heard the name.

"Faith knows?" Buffy didn't want to hear things right and filled in her own answer.

"No, Buffy would you listen to me." Dawn stated looking up. "It is Faith."

"What?" Buffy stood up. "Faith? You're in love with Faith? Has she touched you? I'll kill her." She marched towards the stairs her brain clouded by instant anger.

"Buffy stop!" Dawn hurried after her. "She hasn't touched me."

"Good, I won't have to cut off her hands." Buffy stopped turning to her sister.

"Even when I asked her to she wouldn't." Dawn scowled at the blonde's response to her admission.

"You what? You asked her too, as in asked her to touch you in a not friendly plutonic way?" Buffy eyes were on fire.

"I went to her room naked." Dawn replied honestly. "Asked her to sleep with me." The teenager's face was set and defiant.

"I have to sit down." Buffy moved over to the bed sitting down looking around lost, her knees felt weak as she thought about what Dawn had just said. "You're not the First because I've touched you and we have the shield but you must be a clone or something."

"Why? Because I have feelings, because I have needs?" Dawn heard her voice tighten as her current feelings were viewed as being one of the First's evil plans.

"Needs? You don't have needs." Buffy shook her head looking at her sister. "You're seventeen, you're not even done sophomore year. You have no needs." Her voice was high and strained.

"Of course I have needs! Buffy any day, any moment we could all be dead." Dawn growled. "Maybe I don't want to die a virgin!"

"You're not going to die!" Buffy growled back. "I'm going to keep you safe Dawnie." Her voice softened. "I know that everything is crazy, but you don't want to do something equal crazy like throwing yourself at Faith or anyone else just because of what is going on."

"I've already done the crazy throwing myself thing." Dawn objected. "Which just helped confirm things."

"How did that help confirm anything?" The Slayer shook her head over and over. "Dawn you're too young to be worrying about this, any of this. We're going to beat the First and then you can find any girl or boy your own age to go on dates with and in a few years then you can think about all this."

"It confirmed things because she said no. She wouldn't even look at me." Dawn explained what Buffy would see. "She has changed so much Buffy."

"I'm supposed to give Faith points for not sleeping with my very underage sister?" Buffy looked at her incredulously. "Sorry Dawn if I'm not jumping up and down for that victory."

"I'm four months under age!" Dawn squeaked. "She's barely three years older than me."

"And Faith is a twenty one year old slayer, who's done time for murder. Murder Dawn, she killed someone, actually many people but for one I was there." Buffy barked at her. "This crush you have on Faith ends right now. Do you hear me?"

"What?" Dawn screeched back.

"I'm forbidding you from thinking you're in love with her." The blonde laid down the ultimatum. "I'm forbidding you from being alone with her. I want you in here with us from now on where I can keep an eye on you."

"I came to you to talk about this, to do the right thing and turn to the one person I have, my only real family and you just preach and forbid me to even think." Dawn put her hand on her hip. "Do you know how crazy that is, banning me from thinking?"

"Dawn, that's the point I am your sister, your family and I want what's best for you. Throwing yourself at Faith is not what is best for you." Buffy shook her head.

"I've already told you I've done the throwing myself bit, now I'm just at the sit and gaze at her, spend as much time with her as I can." Dawn stomped towards the stairs. "Laying in bed thinking about her and how she could touch me stage!"

"Okay stop talking about the touching." Buffy shivered distressed for a minute before she raced after her. "Dawn, okay you're seventeen you have..." She gulped and pulled her to a stop. "Needs. But Faith isn't the one to find them with okay?"

"Why not?" Dawn stopped and turned.

"Because she'll use you Dawn, you'll be another notch on her already notch filled bedpost." Buffy didn't pull any punches. "On top of the fact, she's probably teaming with diseases. She wasn't exactly picky about who she slept with in prison if you listen to her talk."

"You are such a hypocrite! You'd already slept with Angel by my age, and forgive me for pointing this out, but hello mass murderer." The brunette growled.

"Angel was... is different." Buffy shook her head against the return attack.

"Why because he's an undead, blood sucker?" Dawn frowned hard.

"No, because I was in love with him." The Slayer spoke the words and tried not to feel the backlash of more obvious hypocrisy that slapped her.

"I'm telling you I'm in love with Faith, just like at my age you were in love with Angel." Dawn argued. "Why can't I be in love with someone too?"

Buffy pulled back for a moment, her arms coming around her body as she turned her back to her sister.

"Because I don't want you to get your heart broken." She admitted softly.

"But it's my heart Buffy." Dawn pointed out. "I should get the right to choose who breaks it and when."

"Dawn, am I wrong for wanting to save you from that?" She questioned turning back.

"I didn't say you were wrong for wanting to protect me, just that there are some things you can't protect me from." Dawn shook her head.

"I don't want to every see you go through what I had to go through." She pointed out trying to make her sister see the reason for her responses.

"Buffy, Faith isn't going to go mental and try and kill us all." Dawn vowed what she already believed.

"I'm not talking about that." She shook her head. "I'm talking about if she leaves you, if she hurts you emotionally, if she walks away when you're begging her to stay."

"Then I cry for weeks and eat ice-cream." Dawn shook her head. "Hopefully my big sister will be there telling me how it wasn't my fault and watch soppy movies with me." She added in a soft voice.

"Who the hell gave you permission to grow up?" Buffy asked somewhat angry as she was faced with the reality of just that. Her little sister wasn't a child anymore.

"I think its somewhere in the maturing paperwork." Dawn smiled. "But Buffy..." She frowned again. "The reason I wanted to talk to you wasn't so much about the fact I love Faith." She looked down. "So much as..." She stopped not sure if she was ready for another Buffy meltdown.

"As?" Buffy prompted.

"How I get her to take me seriously." Dawn admitted sheepishly.

"I..." Buffy sat down. "I have no idea how to answer that question." She patted beside her and Dawn crossed and sunk down to sit finally. "Part of me wants to kick her ass for not finding you attractive, I mean how dare she?" She kicked her toe into the pile of the carpet.

"I'm not sure that would win me points." Dawn chuckled lightly.

"I'm not sure I want to win you points. Are you sure you can't crush on anyone else?" The blonde grinned hopefully.

"Like who? Andrew?" Dawn arched an eyebrow

"I'm sure you could beat up Beatrix." Buffy tried the obvious.

"I suppose there is Kennedy." Dawn arched an eyebrow.

"No." Buffy shook her head. "I think she's too busy stalking Willow secretly anyway."

"She's smarter than that." Dawn stuck up for her. "Isn't she?" She had a second of doubt.

"Remains to be seen." Buffy shrugged. "Okay you, I feel this overwhelming presence of Mom telling me to ask you if you have any other questions." She screwed up her face a little. "Birds and the well I guess birds questions."

"I was hoping Faith would clear up those questions for me." Dawn admitted hoping Buffy wouldn't freak again.

"No, really if you need to ask anything... there's me... or Tara... even Owl." Buffy tried to be open.

"Thank you." Dawn actually smiled.

"Dawn, I'm still not sure Faith is the best choice but I want to be here for you." Buffy offered softly. "Even when Mom and I were still on opposite sides of the world about Angel she was always there for me."

"I wanted to talk to you about it, something Faith said to me yesterday gave me that extra push." The dark haired woman explained.

"What?" Buffy questioned not understanding.

"She said that one thing didn't make me grown up." Dawn recounted the conversation. "But that it was a combination of everything. I realised the right thing to do about how I was feeling was talk to you."

"I know I'm not the easiest person to have as a sister." Buffy sighed putting herself down.

"It's not that." Dawn shook her head. "It's just you have a tendency to be you know predictable about some things."

"Hey I didn't kill her." Buffy gave a slight smile. 'Yet.' She added to herself.

"She has changed Buffy, I mean come on, what would old Faith have done if I walked into her bedroom in just a raincoat?" Dawn offered evidence for her trust.

"Where did you get that idea?" Buffy tried not to even think about what could have happened.

"I think I saw it in a movie." Dawn admitted biting her lip.

"No more naked raincoat days okay?" Buffy requested hoping at least that could be agreed on.

"I wasn't hurrying to try it again, since it so dramatically failed." The younger girl sighed.

"Dawn, totally trying to get over my Faith bias here but sometimes the hard and obvious approach isn't the best way." Buffy tried to help her as best as she could.

"So I should try subtle and gentle?" Dawn sat up again.

"Actually I think maybe you should try time Dawn." Buffy was honest. "We have so much going on right now, I know this feels right to you, I know you feel like it's love, but everything is so intense right now. You need to give yourself a bit of time to get comfortable and to make sure this is truly what you feel."

"Buffy, I don't mean this in a bad way." Dawn frowned softly. "But you don't know how it feels right now, sleeping on your own, being alone."

"Okay being honest in not a bad way, but you don't know the responsibility that comes when you're in that kind of relationship with someone Dawnie." Buffy countered. "And yeah I know you have to be there to find out but it's not all fun and no hard work."

"Can I suggest you've forgotten what I have seen in the last few years Buffy?" Dawn questioned her voice gentle.

"No, but I want to remind you Dawn. You've seen what all of us have gone through, its not ever true love conquers all." The Slayer pointed out sadly.

"Isn't it?" Dawn tipped her head.

"Not always Dawn." Buffy nodded sadly.

"I get it." Dawn nodded and paused contemplating what was being said. "So what is Owl?" She looked at her sister.

"What do you mean?" Buffy looked at her blankly.

"True love or a nice distraction for the moment? Or something in the middle?" There was no edge to the young woman's question.

"Something in the middle." Buffy answered after a long pause not wanting her bad 'True Love' history to ruin anything if she gave her relationship that label.

"And if she walks away from you even when you plead with her to stay?" Dawn turned her sister's words back on her softly leaning against her sister.

"We will need to buy extra ice cream, maybe move the shake machine over from the Double Meat." Buffy smiled softly and put her arm around Dawn hugging her.

-x-

Despite the large numbers of spectators, the room was ominously quiet. All of the furniture in the bungalow's large family room had been moved aside so that Giles had a very large area on the wooden floor in which to perform the spell. Everything breakable had been removed and everyone hung around the large archway in the hallway watching.

Large white pillar candles burned in a four-corner pattern, oriented so that Giles faced out of one side of a diamond. A circle of pine bows wound around the two candles that he somewhat faced, while a circle of pine ash that they had burnt in the back yard wound around the other two behind him.

The small area that gapped the two overlapping circles was where the Watcher had been forced to stand. Outsides of the circles were four dark pottery bowls, turned over so that they hid the crystals that had been placed inside. They were in a half arc off to the left side of the Watcher, outside of both interior circles. From her front row place in the hallway Willow chewed on her lip and glanced at her watch.

"Something isn't working." Giles broke his position frowning. "I'm not getting any power indication."

Over a half dozen attempts so far had ended up within no results. The outline of the spell indicated that the bowls would rearrange themselves, almost as if they were playing the famous cups and ball game so that at the end the three empty bowls would break and the remaining bowl would hold the melded crystals.

"It should be working." Willow shook her head looking around at everything.

"I should review the outline, perhaps it's a timing issue. We might need a more accurate sun or lunar cycle." Giles carefully moved out from his spot.

"That's stupid, this is not environment dependent." Zoë shook her head moving in to reform one delicate area of ashes that the Watcher's footsteps had caused to move.

"Miss. Hanlon I assure you that I am not making a stupid suggestion, despite your efforts this is obviously not working." Giles' voice was tight and annoyed.

"And I assure you that my spell is fine. You must be incanting it wrong." Zoë scowled at him.

"Guys, whatever it is we need to figure out why it's not working." Willow tried to bring a little bit of peace to them both.

"Rupert, lets review the text. Perhaps you need to centre a bit." Sandra tried to draw him away to calm him down, the only way they were going to get this to work was if everyone was focused and relaxed.

"There is no reason this isn't working." Zoë scoffed slightly angry. She knew she'd done so much work on this there was no reason it shouldn't be working. "The set up is perfect, you stand in the right spot." She moved to where the Watcher had been standing and took a quick look around to see everything was perfect. "You say the incantation." Without really thinking about it she began the spell chant in her mind to double check the word translation.

Unexpectedly the candles at the corner of the room began to spark brighter.

"Zoë?" Willow questioned seeing the change.

"Oh crap." Zoë looked a little scared as her hands shot out at her sides, her arms stiff with her palms pointed up. "I think I did something."

"Keep going." Willow prompted her seeing the strain on the Canadian's face. "You have to finish." She felt Giles and Sandra press in behind her.

"I can't finish, I don't have this kind of power." Zoë objected trying to turn but feeling her head stuck looking forward.

"Zoë, you must finish it." Buffy's eyes went wide as the candles began to circle the room, sliding along each wall in time with each other to reach the next corner before moving again.

"I can't." The Canadian managed a small headshake.

"You either have to finish it or dispel the forces." Willow shouted as a loud howling wind began to form in the room following the path of the candles. In place, unaffected by the wind, the circle of ashes and pine bows began to spin lifting up to waist height around the Canadian's body.

"I don't know how!" Zoë yelled back feeling like a huge weight was pressing down on her, it was like being on a spinning ride where you were pressed against the wall but unlike a carnival ride the pressure kept rising higher and higher.

"You know how to finish it!" Willow screamed back not sure if she would be heard over the howling wind.

"Willow, can she do this?" Buffy slid closer to the redhead.

"I don't know, she started it, Giles couldn't." Willow looked at Slayer.

"Zoë, finish it!" Buffy added her support.

It took the Canadian a few more moments to relax the panic inside her but realising she had no choice. She focused on completing the rest of the spell from memory, which wasn't hard with all the hours she'd worked on it. Beside her as she reached the end of the incantation the bowls began to slide against the floor mixing in their places at an almost impossible speed so that you couldn't tell which one had started where.

"She's doing it." Willow informed everyone her knuckles white as she held onto the doorframe watching on.

All of the movement in the room reached a fevered pitch, the torrent around Zoë enough that her hair was spraying wildly around the air and her body was shaking from the intense pressure.

"Cease." Zoë screamed suddenly in pain as used all her strength to clap her hands together in front of her just as three of the bowls shattered into oblivion, leaving only the left middle bowl intact.

The candles fell over extinguishing as at the same time the circles of ash and pine flung out to the sides of the room causing everyone in the doorway to momentarily duck for cover.

"Zoë?" Willow coughed as she tried to see through the settling debris.

The Canadian was left standing in the centre of the room though as she tried to turn towards the redhead's voice she staggered sideways off balance.

"I think my head is still in the void." She offered blinking as she collapsed down to sit on one bent leg.

"You're fine, just try to relax." Willow moved forward to try and steady her first before easing her to sit more comfortably.

"Should one of us check the crystals?" Buffy looked at her very silent Watcher and Sandra.

"Lift up the bowl, the spell is gone now." Willow assured the Slayer as she checked Zoë over frowning at the blood spots that were forming through the Canadian's white shirt just below her collarbone. "She's bleeding." She moved to lie her down as Giles and Sandra rushed over.

"What?" Buffy didn't look under the bowl as she moved over.

"I'll get a kit, take a look please." Giles tried to be discreet and moved away.

"I'm just going to look Zoë." Willow explained as they began to undo the buttons on her shirt.

The wounds turned out not to be large, just two slices that formed a perfect 'V' the point facing down between her breasts as the lines went up to the hollow of her shoulders. They were not deep enough to need stitches that everyone could tell but they were bleeding very freely and would likely scar.

"I think a branch scratched me." Zoë mumbled her eyes unfocused as she tried to talk to Willow.

"This was not a branch." Sandra shook her head. "Buffy check the crystal." She prompted the blonde Slayer.

Reluctantly Buffy moved over, nudging it with her foot as if she was worried that some creature was waiting beneath the clay. Finally satisfied that it was harmless, she lifted it up to reveal that the four singular crystals were now melding into one sculpture.

"Looks like modern art." Buffy picked it up holding it in two hands.

"We should get her up to bed and clean up the cuts." Willow spelled out the plan of action.

"Then can someone try to explain how she did this?" Buffy prompted as she looked at the crystal.

"I'm fine." Zoë tried to push up. "I just have one mother of a headache." She admitted as she managed to get herself into a sitting position. "Damn, why am I bleeding?"

"We're not exactly sure." Sandra moved with Willow to support her on each side. "Perhaps we could move you to the couch."

Willow nodded and with a little help from Buffy they managed to get the tall woman up and over sitting on the couch.

"Trade." Giles came back exchanging the crystal for the first aid kit as he went back into the dining room to inspect the creation and to re-read the spell.

"Do you remember anything?" Willow questioned as she cleaned the cuts and began to put a dressing on them, pressing down hoping to have them stop bleeding.

"Mmmm, not really." Zoë admitted. "Let me think while you clean." She offered closing her eyes. Willow smiled tightly and continued her work.

"What's going on?" The front door to the bungalow swung open and Beth hurried through, not caring how hard it moved or who might be behind it.

"Hey, Bethany." Buffy blocked the doorway glancing over to where they were just finishing patching up Zoë. "We were just cleaning up after the spell. Maybe you and Tara could go make tea?" She looked to the blonde witch following the Brit.

"Where's Zee?" Beth rested her hand on her hip, staring at the Slayer, not phased by her instruction.

"Beth, maybe we should make tea like Buffy suggested." Tara urged the smaller woman.

"Where is she?" The blonde didn't move.

"She's on the couch." Buffy glanced over to see Willow helping her button up her shirt.

"I'm fine baby." Zoë called over trying to be helpful but the tone of her slightly disoriented voice was probably not the best thing for the English woman to hear.

"Fine? How are any of you fine? Did you not hear the cacophony that was coming from here?" Beth pushed forward into Buffy. "Why do I just not believe that you are possibly fine with her in my way?" She added trying to push up onto her toes.

"You'll find I'm a really good door." Buffy smiled at her trying not to be completely rude but having no choice.

"It's fine Buffy let her in." Willow prompted tucking the bloody tissues and bandages away.

Instantly the Slayer stepped back and Bethany hurried to the couch, completely focused on the Canadian.

"Hey baby, I heard you using big words again." Zoë gave her a lopsided smile. "You know no one understands some of them."

"Oooo don't even try to charm me." Bethany shook her head. "That's not what I call a ten minute zip-zap." She scowled but her eyes were full of love and concern.

"We had trouble with Giles zip but somehow I managed to come in with a big zap." Zoë blinked again grimacing a bit.

"You?" Bethany dropped down onto her knees and put her hand on her lover's thigh. "What do you mean you managed to zap?" She frowned more.

"Zoë did the spell." Willow filled in softly. "Can you get her to lie down she won't listen to us?" She questioned hoping that Beth would have more persuasive methods.

"Why does she need to lie down?" The young English girl turned and stared at Willow.

"She has a headache." Willow glanced up at the doorway to Tara hoping she might be able to help.

"Just like one of my silly migraines, it's no big deal." Zoë attempted to protest.

"And magic tends to wear you out, wear anyone out." Tara moved a little closer.

"One of your migraines?" Beth turned back to look at her lover. "Well in that case... wait, what's that on your shirt?" She leaned forward taking the light cotton between her fingers.

"It's... um..." Willow frowned stepping back closer to her fiancée.

"I got cut by a angry pine bow." Zoë offered her acceptable answer.

"You, bed!" She looked at her lover before pushing up to stand. "You." She turned to Willow. "Kitchen, you have a lot of explaining to do."

"Baby, this isn't Willow's fault." Zoë pushed up to stand wobbling a bit.

"Am I talking to you?" She turned and looked at Zoë for a moment. "Now I know I look like a five foot pathetic young woman, but I can assure you I can be mean and vicious when I'm angry. I'm not angry yet." She added. "Now Willow, please if you have a moment, the kitchen would be the best place to talk I feel."

Willow nodded and moved towards the kitchen feeling everyone's sympathy fall on her for having to do so.

"Tara, if you could help Zee to our room I would be more than grateful." Bethany smiled sweetly at the taller blonde. "Maybe you too Buffy." She added glancing at the Slayer.

Everyone for some reason decided that less confrontation was better and they helped Zoë to the door.

-x-

Bethany paced lightly across the tiles of the kitchen floor her hands clasped together, her brow deeply furrowed.

"First question." She glanced at Willow who was hanging close to the sink, waiting patiently for the wrath she knew was coming. "I may know nothing about magic, or you or what the Hell is going on it this crazy little Californian town, but I do know my girlfriend. I know that a) she did not design that spell for herself, b) she does not have a 'migraine', c) she is no where near the 'witch' or 'warlock' or whatever boy witches are called that Mr. Giles is, so just what the Hell is going on?" She stopped her pacing and stared at Willow.

"Honestly, we don't know." Willow gave the lack lustre answer. "Giles was trying to do the spell but it wasn't working, so he walked out of the circles and then Zoë walked in upset that we were saying it wasn't working. I guess she started the incantation in her head and before we knew it, things were happening."

"Oh wait." Bethany backed up a little. "She got herself into this didn't she." She shook her head.

"I swear Beth, she was in the middle and everything starting swirling and moving." Willow continued. "She had to either finish it or pull back and disperse, the only thing she knew to do was finish, and she did. She melded the crystals."

"But that means she has to do the second half of the spell doesn't it?" Bethany put to the redhead.

Willow felt her mind stall as the new revelation struck her, they hadn't had much time to actually think of the consequences.

"Well... yes." She nodded sadly.

"No, no she's not." Bethany shook her head.

"This isn't how we wanted it." Willow shook her head back. "But we have no choice now."

"You, you, Tara, and who ever else, you work out a way of undoing." Beth's voice tightened a notch. "We're not part of this, this insanity."

"Beth, I don't think there is any way to undo her part in this now." Willow admitted. "Like it or not Zoë has a lot more power than any of us imagined."

"I don't care if she's a magical dynamo." Beth frowned. "You are missing my point. She is mine. She is not part of this. She only ever went to bloody Italy because of me, because I left her, and I am not, I will not let her do this."

"Beth, if she doesn't help us kill the First there won't be a you or a her to be an us." Willow bit her voice more angry. "The First will kill us all."

"Someone else can do it." Bethany growled.

"Who? The spell wouldn't work for Giles, Tara and I have to mimic the staff." Willow showed her disagreement.

"There must be someone, Sandra? That Andrew boy." Beth tried other options.

"The spell picked Zoë, this is how magic works sometimes. Only one person, only one person in the world can do what needs to be done and obviously that person is Zoë Hanlon." Willow explained her. "Zoë is the only person who can make the First vulnerable. She's the only one that can put the First evil in a position to be hurt."

"Do you know how insane you sound?" Beth's brow furrowed.

"Probably absolutely certifiable but Beth I have seen so many things, so many things that make me sound crazy that this is just another log on the fire of my crazy time." Willow made a motion by her head. "Look you're telling me in all the years you've known her that you've never seen anything odd happening around her?"

"I'm not telling you anything." Beth shook her head turning away from the redhead.

"You have." Willow moved around the kitchen to be facing her again. "Things that were crazy, things you couldn't explain, things that probably scared you and her."

"Stop it." Bethany barked pacing away. "You don't me, you don't know Zoë. You don't know anything about us."

"Bumps in the night, things she has done that no one should be able to do, perhaps she was touched as a child, but something." Willow pushed the fact. "Admit it Beth, you know she is a part of this world, both of you have been running from it for forever."

"When this is over, we are out of here." Beth didn't reply. "You're never going to have the chance to hurt her again." She turned angrily and pushed towards the door.

"We don't want to hurt her." Willow irrationally threw her hand up and closed the door. "Beth when all of this is done, the First defeated I'll drive you two to the airport myself but we have to do this."

"Do I look like I can't read?" Bethany stopped and turned slowly.

"Of course not." Willow shook her head.

"Then don't fucking patronise me." Beth hissed her eyes full of rage.

"How am I patronising you?" The redhead tempered her own voice.

"I've read that spell." Beth seethed. "I bet something Zoë forgot to tell you about me, was that I am fluent in over twelve different languages, both ancient and modern."

"I didn't know that..." Willow faltered. "But I'm sorry what are you talking about?"

"Oh now I get the wide eyed innocent look." Beth shook her head and leaned against the nearest work unit

"No, it's my confused what the Hell is she babbling on about look. You're acting like the spell is going to make her sprout another head or something." Willow scoffed.

"I'm talking about 'Liv tvinger skapt, co finnes med creator, finnesing sammen, strømming sammen, drenering sammen'." Beth stared hard at Willow.

"I don't speak or read whatever that is." Willow pointed out.

"Oh this gets even better, Zoë hands you a concocted spell and you don't even read a language that part of it is written in." Beth shook her head.

"Look if you have something to tell me spit it out please." Willow urged her.

"Liv tvinger skapt, co finnes med creator, finnesing sammen, strømming sammen, drenering sammen." Bethany repeated the passage. "Is ancient northern European for 'Life forces created, co-exist with the creator, existing together, flowing together, draining together'." The English woman stared at Willow.

"That's why she's bleeding." Willow went a shade paler as she turned to the side her mind reeling.

"You didn't even know did you?" Bethany spat appalled.

"Do you think I'd have even let Giles do the spell if I knew?" Willow turned growling at her.

"How the hell do I know anything about you people?" Bethany snarled in defence. "I've been with you what, less than a week and I watched more corpses being dragged out of house, dumped and left, more weaponry, more wounds and more so called magic, than I've ever read about. And believe me I've read a lot. All I know is that you have Zee, and that you have nicely managed to weave her into a spell that might well kill her. I'm sorry if I'm not feeling overly trusting of you." She wrenched the door open. "But not one, not a single one of you, has done anything and I mean ANYING to even try and prove any of this to me."

-x-

Willow pushed open the study door causing Sandra and Giles to jump as she stalked in.

"Who knew this was a linked spell?" She barked at them.

"Ah Willow, sit down won't you." Sandra smiled at her.

"What is going on?" Willow looked at Giles seeing the furrow on his brow. "I just had Beth tear a strip off of me, how did she know when none of us did?"

"Willow please." Giles frowned. "I was under the impression that Zoë came to you with the spell to check it through, in fact she assured me she did."

"She did, but I never say anything in some ancient language about the caster's life force being matched to the First's death." Willow kept staring at him.

"It's right there Willow." Giles turned the small notebook around and tapped the very first page. There was some untidy hand written scrawl next to a paragraph of the elusive language that read 'Combined forces.'

"So you were going to go into this and tie your life force to the First's?" Willow questioned him directly; unable to think about how she would have felt knowing it was Giles who had completed the spell. "Knowing the Slayers are going to kill it?"

"It's the only thing we have Willow." Giles frowned slightly. "We all learned with Glory that sometimes it takes drastic measures to get what we want as an ending."

"The only problem is that Zoë is now the spellcaster and I don't think she is prepared to sacrifice herself, she shouldn't have to." Willow leaned against the desk.

"Well there is a chance that death will not occur, Candice is not dead." The Watcher put forward.

"She's a vegetable Giles." The redhead snapped causing him to look down out of her wrath.

"If I could possible intervene here." Sandra offered trying to cut the tension. She was pleased when Willow stopped her momentary tirade. "There is a passage within the spell context underlining that if the creator severs the link with the creation, before death, then they will not suffer the same actions. I have a feeling from what Rupert has told me about Candice and the spell she created, she never had any warning or any expectation that her creation was destroyed, thus she had no chance to severe her connection with it."

"So if Zoë is able to pull back prior to the Slayer's striking the death blow then she won't die with the First?" Willow hung onto the point.

"That's what the text suggests, though I'm afraid that if before the death blow occurs they in any way engage the First then it's injuries will be shared with our bold, if foolish Canadian friend." The female Watcher nodded.

"This means she's going to have to cast the spell in visual range so that she can see when the Slayer's make the strike. It also means they have to make a the first strike the last, Zoë won't be able to survive as the First would." Willow ground her fingernail into the wood.

"Well, yes." Sandra looked down knowing there was no other answer.

"How on earth are we going to keep a secure area around her while she does this?" Willow looked between them.

"She has to go in with the SIT's, Rupert and I." Sandra looked at the other Watcher.

"We'll do our best to protect her." Giles added solemnly.

"How are you going to protect yourselves from a horde of Bringers?" The redhead questioned sadly.

"That will be our problem Willow, not yours." The older Watcher smiled with a slightly furrowed brow.

"This is all of our problems Giles." Willow stood up. "All of our problems because more of us are going to die." She pulled open the door.

"Willow, we must all do our part." Giles pushed up looking at Willow knowing she wouldn't turn again to respond to him. "If for some of us our part is to die to save humanity, I think that's a worthy role, don't you?"

-x-

From behind the large tree at the edge of the property bright blue eyes watched the stamping footsteps of the small blonde figure that made her way around the yard in a circle over and over.

"Did someone spill ink on your Gucci again darling?" Holly's sing song voice called to Beth from the tree line.

All colour drained from the small blonde's face when she heard the voice, the memory of it hitting deep inside her brain.

"Who... who's there?" She demanded, her voice shaking. She didn't want to believe her own ears.

"You can tell me." Holly walked out further so she was visible. "Do I look good or what?" She smoothed her hands down the silk dress she was wearing.

"You... you can't be here." Beth shook her head at the apparition

"Oh course I can honey, they told you how this works." She pointed to the house.

"You're the First" Beth squared her shoulders.

"Well yes, but I thought you'd like to see an old friend to make you feel better." Holly gave her a winning smile. "Or worse as the case may be."

"And this is how you got into Zee's head?" She asked unable to believe how much it looked like Holly.

"It wasn't hard darling, what I told her was true. I knew exactly where you were and if need be I would have killed you." Holly admitted.

"So why haven't you?" Beth demanded unsure of what keeping her in her spot and why she wasn't running screaming to the house.

"Strategic planning." The First smiled. "I just love building up their hopes..." She pointed to the house. "Only to tear them down. Though you were such a lucky thing when that boy stole your car. I mean I thought last of the good guys, off trying to pay for gas in a deserted town. You are just too nice for words honey."

"You killed him." Beth stated her spine trembling.

"My Bringers did actually. Seems they didn't quite realize it wasn't a little blonde girl in the car but I digress." The First smiled again. "I'm not here to talk about the past Bethany, I'm here darling to talk to you about the future. That is if you want to have a future at all."

"What?" Beth frowned.

"Do you want to have a future with your little Canadian?" Holly asked her with another sweet smile.

"There's a way?" The small blonde continued to frown.

"There is always a way." The First encouraged.

"How do you know of a way when they don't?" Beth challenged it.

"Bethany, what they are doing is running around preparing to die, what they do changes nothing in my plan." The First explained. "My plan has nothing to do with you and your little girl, I want to end the slayers, neither of you are slayers. If you stay out of my way, if you help me..." She added softly. "Then you and your Zoë can walk out of here unharmed."

"Unharmed? Isn't it a little late for that. I think that Zee's going to be haunted by nightmares of this for the rest of her life, I know I will." Beth scoffed at the easy solution.

"You prefer being dead to a few nightmares?" Holly scowled.

"I've not heard you offer anything better with substance or evidence." Beth wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

"My boys are coming at midnight tonight. Have you and Zoë outside in this backyard, leave the back door open when you come and they will walk by you to show you that they have no interest in you." The First outlined.

"And then what?" Beth questioned unable to believe the outline.

"You leave sweet Bethany. Take Zoë and go far, far away from here." The First smiled.

"What's the catch?" Beth arched her eyebrow.

"The catch is that if you do anything more to help the Slayers then I will kill you both." Holly's face went stern and dark.

"Midnight." Bethany checked.

"Midnight." The figure nodded. "Can I trust you to do what I've asked darling?"

"I'll think about it." The English girl offered.

"Don't think too long darling, remember they want to kill your lover." Holly disappeared.

-x-

Dawn carefully came up to the top of the stairs carrying the covered tray. She balanced it in one hand for a few moments as she checked her hair and straightened her shirt.

"Faith?" She called hoping the dark Slayer wasn't busy.

"In here." Faith called from below. "Come on down."

"I thought you might be hungry." Dawn reached the bottom smiling as she saw the Slayer was laid out on her bed reading some sort of magazine, which she didn't quite know why Faith was now trying to stuff under a pillow. "So I brought us a snack."

"Hey!" Faith coughed a little and shifted up to a sitting position. "That's great, bring it on in." She encouraged.

"Sorry did I interrupt something?" Dawn raised an eyebrow as she moved over to put the tray on the bed.

"No, no, it's nothing that can't wait." Apparently unhappy with her chosen position she shifted again to be sat at the edge of the bed, her legs over the side.

"You're tense, what's up?" Dawn ignored what she'd brought for a moment moving closer to rub her hand over the big knot she always saw pop up in the Slayer's shoulder when she was uncomfortable.

"I'm not tense." Faith tried to deny, but was then forced to focus on not letting the pleasured groan that built up in her throat as Dawn touched her escape and be heard.

"You are too, you're like a brick wall." The teenager scoffed as she put her other hand up massaging the knot. "I should have put you in a hot bath instead of making you a snack I think." She laughed lightly trying to cover up her own momentarily fantasy of pushing Faith into the hot water, looking down at the Slayer's naked body. She shivered a bit as she tried to concentrate on the here and now.

"Dawn, urgh mmmmm God that feels good." Faith admitted as her resolve dipped a little.

"Does it?" Dawn was a little shocked by the tone of Faith's voice and the way it made her feel warm deep inside. She moved both hands to either side of the Slayer's neck kneading against the tight muscles.

"Yeah, I guess I'm tenser than I ... That is, yeah." Faith pushed to sit up straighter as the feelings flowing through her changed subtly from general pleasure to physical enjoyment, enjoyment similar to that which she had been experiencing before the young Summers had arrived. "But hey…" She coughed again trying to focus. "We have snacks."

"I'm sure we have some heat rub upstairs, I could put some of that on it if you wanted." Dawn offered pulling her hands back feeling the electrical connection end. Faith's reference to her reason for coming in the first place made her reset her mind. "Um yeah snacks, Beth made more cookies so I stole us some warm ones."

"Well everyone loves fresh baked cookies, she's a bit of a whiz that little Brit." Faith shifted a little further away from the other young woman.

"Did you want some?" Dawn pulled off the cover to show off the almost steaming cookies that were just out of the oven and two large glasses of milk. "Or should I just leave it and go?"

"I'm not meaning to give the 'Dawn, Piss off vibe', if that's what I'm doing." Faith smiled at the doe eyed woman.

"You sure?" Dawn checked picking up a cookie and nibbling on it. "I mean it's okay if you want to have those vibes."

"I'm sure, D relax, you're good company and even better you brought cookies, what's not to like in that situation?" Faith smiled broadly.

"Cool." Dawn leaned back eating through her cookie quickly licking the sticky melted chocolate off her fingers. "What were you doing?"

"Just you know, reading." Faith concentrated on eating her cookie.

"Anything good? I mean I shouldn't complain about no school but since the High School was closed I feel like I'm on total brain drain." Dawn laughed sipping her milk.

"Well I'm sure the G man has some books that'd cover that for you." Faith made the assumption.

"So you're telling me that you're not going to tell me what you were reading?" Dawn put the glass on the table beside the bed turning in to look at Faith.

"Just a magazine." Faith shook her head. "Do you really want to look at a magazine?"

"What kind?" Dawn snaked her hand under the pillow to pull it out and see. "Has to be better than Buffy's obsession with Vogue." Her eyes went wide when she had it out.

"That wasn't an invite to..." Faith tried to stop her but failed. "Your sister's going to kick my ass now." She shook her head.

"Where did you get this?" Dawn bit her lip as she looked at the air brushed pictures. "So you were reading the articles eh?" She flipped onto her back skipping through the pages of the Playboy.

"You know, your sister would be horrified if she ever knew you'd just asked that question, and besides, you're a smart girl D, you know what I was doing." Faith shook her head and finished her glass of milk.

"What? Like I've never seen a Playboy." Dawn laughed. "I go to high school in the year 2003, it's a given. The senior boys like to post up pictures to 'freak out' the girls." She looked over at Faith. "You could have said you know, I wouldn't have forced cookies on you."

"Like I said D, what I was doing can wait, Hell why pass up the time to be with a real girl." She stopped and tried to correct herself. "I'm not sure that came out right, but you know what I mean, yeah?"

"Did you mean it to come out like you were flirting or like you were trying not to flirt?" Dawn smiled at her flipping through more pages.

"The latter." Faith underlined quickly. "Though tell me, was it a decent flirting line?"

"It was." Dawn smiled. "Can you explain this to me?" She pointed to one of the off colour jokes. "I don't get it."

"Okay, let's see it." Faith moved up along side the other woman and looked at the magazine. Dawn held it out to her for her to inspect and interpret. "Oh, its not even funny D." She shook her head.

"Come on, I don't get it." Dawn urged her. "Even if it's not funny I want to know why it's not funny."

"Why on earth would a girl like you want to understand smutty low jokes in a boys mag?" Faith asked with an arched eyebrow.

"So that I can understand them and not let them affect me. Come on if a boy asked me too..." She looked at the line. "Shine the general... Ewww! Is that what I think it is?"

"Yeah it's what you think it is D." Faith nodded. "And believe me, the more ways you can think of shining it the better, for them that is."

"Is it as gross as it sounds?" Dawn looked at her curious. "I mean boys aren't well known for their hygiene."

"They're not, well some of them aren't, and it can be gross." Faith assured.

"But sometimes it's nice?" Dawn pulled the magazine back flipping to the front and then through the sections she'd missed.

"Well its very nice for a guy." Faith nodded. "Some girls like to give though."

"Sara Debenet as school was showing off how she can put on a condom without using her hand, but she's a slut." Dawn filled in stopping to read down the details of the centrefold with a chuckle.

"Well that she knows what a condom is and when it should be used is a good thing." Faith appraised and then looked at Dawn smiling a little and shaking her head. "Got enough girlie flesh imprinted in your brain yet?" She teased.

"What? Aren't I allowed to look?" Dawn went a little pink and closed the magazine.

"Of course you are, it's healthy, and well I think it's healthy." Faith assessed. "Though ask Jo, she has some boy equivalents."

"The boys ones are gross, she was showing them off the other night." Dawn screwed up her nose. "Girls are pretty naked, boys well boys should wear at least undies."

"Some boys are okay naked, depends what 'state' they're in." Faith leaned back against the pillows.

"You mean they can get it in shape?" She scoffed a little.

"Well they look better when everything looks, you know, beefed up a bit." The Slayer laughed at her question.

"So what's oral sex with a woman like?" Dawn leaned over looking at Faith.

Faith was very grateful that she had finished her glass of milk and cookies because if she hadn't they would have just been sprayed across the room at mach speed.

"It's... well just like with boys it depends, its very different if the girl you know shaves, or trims and each girl tastes different." Faith wanted to answer the inquiry but thinking about this wasn't helping her relax at all.

"I can see that, they were telling us in Sex Ed it's all very hormonal." Dawn nodded.

"Yeah it is, see you didn't need my input after all." Faith was pleased that Dawn was as smart a cookie, as she seemed even about these things.

"I did, you've done it." The brunette smiled. "Gives me hands on experience to rely on."

"Willow and Tara have done it do, far more recently than me I'd wager." Faith offered with a laugh.

"Can you imagine asking Willow about oral sex?" Dawn laughed with her. "She'd go into world ending babble mode and end up telling me about USB ports or something equally neutral."

"Well personally I'd not ask Willow about anything lesbian." Faith admitted trying to be honest.

"I guess I could ask Tara, but she gets a little sidetracked by the why are you asking part." Dawn nodded. "You just tell me." She smiled at the dark Slayer. "Thank you."

"My pleasure D." Faith smiled back. "You deserve straight answers to straight questions, I can't imagine many people have given them to you much in the past."

"No." The brunette bounced her feet against the bed. "It's hard to 'grow up' when you're sisters the slayer. Everyone runs around treating you like your six so that she won't kick their ass."

"You're doing a great job." Faith took the magazine back and dropped it on the floor by the bed.

"Do you want to train?" Dawn asked lazily.

"Yeah you're giving off training vibes." Faith chuckled at the cookie filled brunette's reclined position on the bed.

"Mmmmm not so much." Dawn looked at her. "We could play poker?"

"You turning into a card shark on me D?" Faith pushed up from the bed and wandered to the drawers where she had put the cards.

Having spent so much time concentrating on giving reasonable answers and not letting her mind get away from her she forget the small hand held control that she had shoved under the pillow with the magazine. With her previous position on the bed the long black cord hadn't been pulled but as she stepped away from the bed it was pulled free and fell onto the floor. Dawn didn't really question as she rolled over and picked up the small device.

"What's this?" She spun her thumb up the wheel on the side.

"It's... aaaaammmmm, Dawn can you just reverse that little action you did then." Faith stood up leaning against the dresser, her eye squinted a little as she tried to get the words out calmly.

"This?" Dawn spun it back. "Why?" She spun it back and forth wondering what it did. "Do you have an electric blanket or something?"

"No." Faith bit her lip and turned away from the other woman, fiddling around for a moment. A low buzzing sound emanating infrequently from whatever it was that Faith was moving as Dawn played with the control. When Dawn had turned it off she put the small silver oval vibrator on the side and coughed.

"Oh my God." Dawn looked up and then realized what she had been doing. "I'm sorry, I didn't..." She turned bright red.

"It's okay." Faith shook her head, as she turned round. "Though you mind if I take this back." She smiled trying to play it all down.

"I had no idea you were that busy." She sat up tossing the controller at Faith. "I should go."

"Dawn, its okay." Faith shook her head. "I could have told you to come back later."

"Yeah but you were really busy... busy with..." Dawn looked at her. "What is that exactly?"

"With something that can wait." Faith underlined and glanced over her shoulder to dresser. "That?" She pointed at the small silver object. "I thought you'd done Sex Ed."

"They didn't bring in things that vibrated." Dawn shook her head.

"Oh." Faith leaned back and picked up the small silver oval. "You guessed what it is." She continued. "It's just a area specific one."

"Where did you get it?" Dawn looked over to where it was on the counter.

"An adult toy store." Faith pulled open a door on the dresser, she pulled out a scented wipe and ran it quickly over the small gadget and then brought it over to Dawn for a closer look. She spun the wheel back and forth showing the brunette how it increased in power.

"Do you have other stuff?' Dawn watched her curiously.

"I have a couple of things yeah." She nodded and shrugged.

"Can I see them?" The brunette reached up tucking her hair behind her ears.

"I'm not sure big sis would like that D." Faith shook her head.

"It's sex education." Dawn looked at her seriously.

"It's not Sex Ed D, it's looking at the contents of Faith's private bottom drawer." She raised an eyebrow.

"Well then fine I'll look on my own." Dawn swung her long legs out and moved down to pull open the drawer.

"Hey, hey!" Faith moved quicker and stopped her. "I thought we were friends."

"Yeah so?" Dawn kept her hand on the pull.

"So we'd need to be much more than friends to go examining in there." Faith pointed out.

"You think I'm a kid." Dawn pushed up to stand letting go of the drawer finally.

"Woo, how the hell did we get there?" Faith frowned at her.

"Because apparently whatever is in that drawer is only for adults." Dawn looked at her.

"It's not that." Faith shook her head. "What's in my drawer isn't for my friends of any age."

"Maybe I want to know what's in that drawer so we're not friends anymore." She added sternly.

"You don't want me Dawn." Faith drew in a breath threw her nose and looked at the tall young woman.

"No, you don't want me." Dawn shook her head.

"Dawn stop it, listen to me. I am not good enough for you, that's it, bottom line." Faith pointed out her tone short and precise.

"That's your bottom line." Dawn snapped at her. "Not mine."

"What do you want Dawn, do you want me to just grab you and kiss you?" Faith asked feeling back into a corner.

"It would be a start, I'm not saying I want to jump into bed with you." She put one hand on her hip.

"This time." Faith pointed out with her eyebrow arched.

"Maybe." Dawn scowled. "I'm not easy or anything, not even for you sexy leather pants girl. The other night was just… the other night."

"You sister would kill me if I so much as thought about you the wrong way." Faith backtracked a little unable to take her eyes of the dark smoulder in the brown eyes staring at her.

"That was her first suggestion when I told her but then I pointed out the whole you wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole fact. Look this is pointless." Dawn sighed turning to move up the stairs as she changed her tactic. "I'll stop bugging you."

"Whoa, you told her?" Faith stepped forward putting her hand around Dawn's arm.

"Of course I told her I'm not a little girl. I don't have to hide things." Dawn shook her head. "I certainly don't have to hide my feelings and needs."

"No, you're not a little girl." Faith turned Dawn back so they could look at each other. "You're a beautiful and special young woman Dawn."

"Look do you want me to suddenly say I have experience, I don't. But I'm almost eighteen and I'm not into Barbie's anymore. I want to know what it's like to be close to someone, to feel things." Dawn spelled out her desires. "I want to know what it's like to have someone."

"There are some nice girls around you right now D, better people than me." Faith kept her voice soft, moving her hand to rest on the side of Dawn's cheek.

"That's great, but like I told Buffy I don't want anything from them." Dawn looked up into dark eyes. "I want you."

"Oh fuck this." Faith cursed softly under her breath, she pushed her hand almost roughly back into Dawn's hair and then onto the back of her head pulling her forward and pressing their lips together.

Dawn was caught completely off guard but soon melted closer to the Slayer's body as she kissed her back. Trying to keep at least a limited reign on her actions, Faith let the kiss linger for a few moments before she detracted herself.

"You kissed me." Dawn put her fingers up to her lips.

"Yes I did." Faith nodded taking a small step away.

"Wow." Dawn smiled as she registered the wonderful feeling.

"Yeah, you taste good." The Slayer felt herself smile slightly at the other woman's reaction.

"Chocolate chip cookies." Dawn flicked her hair sub consciously.

"And milk." Faith nodded. "Sure as hell beats cigarettes and booze."

"Don't really like either." Dawn shook her head. "So do I have to go?" She pointed up the stairs.

"I didn't tell you had to go in the first place." Faith pointed out as she crossed her room and picked up the small personal massaging unit and slipped it into the bottom drawer.

"So I can stay?" Dawn followed her.

"Dawn." Faith stopped as she closed the drawer and stood up again. "You can stay any time."

"Like now?' Dawn moved over and sat down on the bed.

"Sure." Faith nodded. "I'll take the floor." She added moving to the closet and pulling out a sleeping bag.

"Faith, we can both sleep on the bed." Dawn shook her head.

"We will, just I'll be in the sleeping bag, I'm not that altruistic D." Faith chuckled a little.

"Oh... you mean... you'd find it hard?" Dawn asked the question with a soft pleased smile.

"Exactly." Faith nodded. "You mightn't figured them out yet D, but when my whole lust hormones kick in, I need to be in a sleeping bag too."

"I've figured out my lust hormones." Dawn gave a knowing smile. "I have lots."

"Oh really." Faith chuckled.

"Thousands of them." Dawn giggled and looked at the clock. "You know it's seven thirty, we don't really have to go to bed yet. In fact it would be kinda lame to go to bed this early."

"No, we don't, so what do you wanna do?" Faith leaned on the dresser looking at the teenager.

"Play poker?" Dawn laughed at the repetitive suggestion.

"Oh come on think of something else." Faith laughed too.

"Truth or dare." The brunette gave a wicked smile.

"Truth or dare eh?" Faith laughed harder.

"Yes." Dawn nodded sitting down on the bed.

"Okay, you got it." Faith agreed moving to turn on some music.

"Who goes first?" She leaned against the pillow on her elbow.

"Oh you should." Faith smirked moving to sit at the bed at the bottom looking at her.

"So truth or dare." Dawn challenged.

"Truth." Faith put her feet up on the bed getting comfortable.

"Have you ever been in love?" Dawn put forward, playing with the edge of the comforter.

"No." Faith shook her head quickly.

"You're turn." Dawn smiled at her.

"Truth or dare." Faith relaxed a little, she was glad so far there wasn't any more sex questions.

"Dare." Dawn wiggled her eyebrows.

"Ohhh straight in with living dangerously." Faith nodded impressed.

"Only you and me." She shrugged defiantly.

Faith pushed off her bed and moved to the drawers, she pulled out a pair of grey boxer shorts.

"Put those on over your jeans, and go and ask everyone else in the house if they want a drink before bedtime." She tossed them at the bed.

"Faith, we're the only ones playing I shouldn't have to go upstairs." Dawn laughed at the dare.

"She's backing out already folks." Faith played it up to an imaginary audience.

"No, no I'll do it." She snatched them up and stood up yanking them on. "How do I look?"

"Cute." Faith assessed giving her thumbs up.

"Be right back." Dawn strutted over to the stairs and up them. "Be ready for a dare of your own!"

-x-


	24. Chapter 24

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Twenty Four.**

It was a moonless night, the small dots of bright white stars did their best to fight off the all consuming darkness, but were having little to no effect. Even in the deepest gloom, two figures could be made out in the back yard of the third house. The one, distinctively shorter than the other, shifted a heavy looking bag on her shoulder and glanced up at her companion. The other hunched forward a little, as if in some amount of pain. The denim and coat she wore had a hood that was brought forward over her head.

"We're doing the right thing." The smaller girl's British tones shook a little as she whispered the short sentence and clearly identified her as Bethany, but she received neither confirmation, nor disagreement from the taller figure to her right. "It's late." Beth raised her arm a little, pulling back the sleeve of her long tapestry coat and glancing at her watch. It's luminous hands revealed the time to be ten after midnight. "Maybe we should just go." She dropped her arm and re-adjusted the bag.

Then there came a subtle rustle in the bushes directly in front of them and Bethany tensed visibly, the person behind her did likewise.

"It's them isn't it?" Beth whispered but before her companion could answer, two figures leapt out at them. Arcing high in the air they landed on the grass in front of them and gave an angry hiss. The high bumps on their foreheads easily definable even in the near blackness.

"They're not fucking Bringers." With and angry snarl the denim hood was thrown back to reveal Piper, who from beneath the coat pulled the staff, which she twirled, instantly flicking it out to its full war size. "SPIKE!" she yelled as she moved herself in front of Bethany to protect her as the Uber vamps approached.

The peroxide vampire ran in from where he had been hiding at the side of the house taking a running jump at the Uber approaching from the right. Piper turned then and focused on the one to the left pushing it back with the end of her staff with a short hard jab to its abdomen.

Spike snarled as he was tossed backward by the Uber that seemed focused on heading for Bethany and ripping her apart. The young Brit was backing up her legs barely managing the stumbled motion, before the bag slipped off her shoulder sending her sprawling to the ground completely at the mercy of the Hellmouth beast.

"BETH!" From the house came Zoë's panic filled scream, seconds before the back door was flung open and Buffy raced out, armed with a large heavy axe to defend the fallen young woman.

"Get to the house!" Buffy called as she swung the axe in a stomach level arc, knocking the Uber back a little. "Go Bethany!" She hissed when the smaller woman didn't instantly move.

Scrambling to her hands and knees Bethany made a hurried crawl towards the back door, hardly noticing the cuts and scrapes that the harsh concrete of the porch ravaged on her knees and palms.

Piper took a quick glance over her shoulder as Buffy joined the outdoor battle, though her attention was soon drawn back to her prey as it slashed out at her with long sharp talons. Using her staff to pole-vault-flip backwards she evaded the swing and then knocked the Uber back again with a series of twirls and stabs of her weapon. Changing her grip slightly on the staff,made the long weapon make a subtle 'clicking' sound and she watched as the ends both tapered slightly to form stakes.

"Oh yeah." She grinned beating back the Uber again tripping it, before twirling the staff and driving it down hard on the chest of it. To her surprise the wood passed through the tremendous body armour of the vampire into its vulnerable heart. With a demonic screech the Uber writhed for a moment before dusting away to nothing.

"Heads up baby." Piper spun on her heel, clicked the staff back into its shorter form and tossed it at Buffy.

The blonde Slayer caught it one handed, dropping the axe the same instant. The Uber facing her growled and hissed as she spun it and then gripped it tight, just releasing the axe heads. With a single bold swung she decapitated it and sent it's ash into oblivion.

"Way to go baby!" Piper grinned but was surprised when Buffy didn't even turn to her. Instead the Slayer tossed her the staff and stalked into the house.

"You to had a bit of a thing?" Spike asked as he stepped forward dusting off his dark jeans.

"News to me if we have." Piper frowned and took a step towards the house, but then stopped. "Come on we have the perimeter and bushes to flush out, just in case this wasn't just the set up we thought it was." She moved out, stepping carefully over the perimeter wires and with a shrug Spike followed.

-x-

"What the Hell is going on Giles?" Buffy slammed the dining room door hard making the watcher look up form his book.

"Buffy… I take it the attack was as we thought, a chance to eliminate Zoë and Bethany." The Watcher frowned.

"Yeah, but with Ubers Giles!" Buffy snarled. "Now when the one attacked Willow, like everyone else I was all well you know the first kept one aside for that purpose. Then when that one tried to take out Piper I thought wait a minute, two just in reserve, that's a bit far fetched. And now two more?" She shook her head. "These aren't reserve troops Giles, these are new Ubers." She leaned forward on the table. "Now just how in the Hell are there new Ubers?" She demanded.

"Buffy please!" Giles frowned slightly. "It is quite feasible that the First kept these Ubers from when the seal was opened."

"And did what with them Giles? Disguised them as table lamps? Fed them cheeseburgers?" Buffy face went flush with anger. "They nearly killed Bethany out there, way to go for ensuring the safety of a girl who's just given us more trust than we damn well deserve right now."

"Summoning." Sandra's voice came from behind the Slayer as she slipped into the room.

"Summoning?" Buffy turned to her still frowning.

"The First could be summoning Ubers directly from the Hellmouth." She replied crossing around to Giles, though constantly looking at Buffy.

"Sandra I really don't think…" Giles began to object.

"Rupert please." Sandra cut him off. "I know what you're going to say, it would take immense power and energy focus to perform such a summoning, but we are talking about The First here, we are talking ultimate power."

"But even so." Giles argued. "It wouldn't be able to summon, more than one in every ten hours or so, not even it has the strength to do more than that."

"One every ten hours?" Buffy jumped on the statistic.

"That's just an estimate Buffy, a generous one at that." Giles defended.

"So what, we say two a day, Giles do you realising how long it's had to summon two Ubers a day?" Buffy felt her blood turning cold. "It's going to wipe us out." She whispered, feeling sick to her stomach.

"Buffy this is purely here-say." Giles tried to interrupt Buffy's downward spiral.

"Giles even if it's only managing one a day, it's had more than three weeks." Buffy stopped and stared at him. "Faith, Piper and I can't take on God knows how many Bringers, eighteen or more Ubers and the First." She set out point blank. "No wonder its just been sitting back and letting us do our thing. Fuck!" She cursed angrily, the word out of character for her and shocking Giles as he stared at her. "Sandra, I want you to get everyone out of her, Anya, Xander, Dawn, Bethany, anyone non essential. Get them the Hell away from here, and do it now." She turned and looked at the female Watcher. "The SIT's too, any of them who want to go, take them too." She added, her eyes flashing as her mind tried to grasp hold of a train of thought.

"Buffy no, the First would kill them before they reached the town boundary." Giles shook his head. "And we need them here, I doubt Bethany would leave Zoë, I know Xander and Dawn won't leave you." He tried to bring clarity.

"They're going to die here Giles." Buffy turned to him and snarled.

"If the First wins here they're going to die where ever they are." Sandra put in, her voice eerily calm.

"I need to get out of here, I need to think." Buffy shook her head unable to meet either Watcher's eyes. She turned and marched out of the house leaving the door wide open in her wake.

-x-

Zoë moved the antiseptic wipe from one scrape to the next, her face a firm frown. Her beloved role in the attack had only really been a matter of seconds, but the amount of damage just retreating had done to Beth made her sick to her stomach.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked quietly. "You scared the hell out of me out there."

"Well I guess we're even then, as you scared the hell out of me this morning." Beth scowled back trying not to wince in pain as the wipe was moved to the last cut.

"Touché darling." Zoë leaned up and gave her a light kiss. "All done. Just need to be careful for a day or too they might be sore." She hovered close to her. "Do you need anything else?"

"A brandy?" Beth actually smiled.

"Mmmm let me get you one." She moved over to the liquor cabinet in the living room across from the couch. "Generous or gigantic?" She teased.

"Just the bottle." Beth laughed back.

"Funny." She poured out a generous snifter. "You were very brave baby." She moved back holding it out for her.

"No, I was scared out of my mind. Piper was brave." Bethany clarified taking the glass with a shaking hand.

"You were still brave. The way you distracted it by falling down." Zoë grinned at her reaching up to steady her hand. "You see now how serious this is don't you?" She questioned in a whisper as she sat down beside her.

"I never doubted it was serious, I just might have doubted we were on the right side." Beth explained honestly.

"But now?" Zoë checked.

"The First, whatever it is, sent those, those creatures, to kill us. There was no attack planned on the house and even if I hadn't have decided to turn sides on it, it would have killed whoever was out there." Bethany summed up what she knew. "I still don't understand any of this, but I owe my life to Buffy and Piper and that… vampire?" She even said the word with a raised eyebrow.

"Spike, you don't owe him anything. He's just trying to survive, nothing more trust me, if he had his way he'd eat all of us." Zoë shook her head. "So you know why I have to do this now right?"

"I know you feel you have to help yes, but Zee..." Beth put down her glass, the alcohol inside untouched. "You know what the spell does don't you." She checked her voice low.

"What it can do." Zoë corrected. "I'm not going to let that happen. I didn't come here to die, that's not my purpose."

"You didn't design the spell for you though." Beth pointed out.

"I know, but now I can tweak it for me. There is no way I'm letting some ghost and her ugly band of Ubers kill me when I have you back in my life baby." Zoë reached up to cup her cheek. "Hanlon spite won't allow it darling."

"Yeah it might be the First evil but it hasn't counted on Hanlon spite now has it." She laughed. "It's doomed."

"No way, what evil thing could know about the Hanlon spite and still even remotely think its going to win?" Zoë winked at her.

"How's your 'branch' scratch?" Beth raised her eyebrow.

"Probably needs cleaning, did you want to take a look at it?" She offered softly.

"Wow, we get to examine each others war wounds." The young English woman shook her head. "Romance never dies."

"Well you know after that we could..." Zoë licked her lips.

"We could..." Beth asked as she unbuttoned her lover's shirt to look at the wound.

"Mmmm you know." Zoë leaned her arms back so that Beth could get to the bandages.

"I'm not sure I do." Bethany teased as she eased the bandages back a little. "Explain."

"Now you're just winding me up." Zoë smirked trying not to grimace. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. How do they look?" She tacked on.

"Sore." Beth assessed honestly. "And I might know what you are talking about, but I'm not sure why I should given in easily. So come on tell me."

"Have they stopped bleeding finally?" Zoë smiled at her before she slid her hands up her lover's thighs. "Could involve you and me, lots of nice kisses, caressing and long hours of making love?"

"No, they haven't." Beth leaned over and unpacked some new dressing, taping it lightly in place. "So it looks like you're out of luck cowboy."

"Come on, a little dribble bleeding shouldn't stop true love." Zoë moved closer to her trying to kiss her.

"Mmmm maybe it's not the bleeding but the thoughtless blundering into a spell without thinking of the consequences that means your out of luck missy." Beth pulled back just out of reach.

"Says the girl who just faced off with two Ubers." Zoë raised an eyebrow.

"Did you miss the hours of planning with two of the three supposed saviours of the human race?" Bethany pointed out the subtle difference.

"Okay so again my spite got me in trouble. I was pissed off that Giles said my spell was junk. I knew it wasn't, apparently he didn't have the right makeup." Zoë gave a crocked smile.

"Mmmm is that a direct apology I'm hearing?" Bethany teased.

"Indirect yes." Zoë laughed. "Come on, I didn't mean it you know that."

"Just like you didn't mean to directly volunteer for possibly the most dangerous ever delivery job in the history of the world?" Beth moved a little closer. "I mean forgive me, but couldn't FedEx have handled it?"

"FedEx had a no Hellmouth delivery policy." Zoë smiled sweetly at her. "And hey I'd never been to California."

"You're not winning points." Beth warned.

"I'd do it again, means I have you back in my life." She reached down taking the English woman's hand and slowly kissing the back of it.

"Okay that got you half a point." Beth couldn't help but smile.

"How many do I need to get?" Zoë kissed up her wrist.

"Three." Beth assessed.

"Mmmm I love you." Zoë tried to get another half point as she kissed the inside of her wrist.

"Oooo up to a whole point." Beth settled lightly down onto Zoë's lap.

"Mmmm I'm sorry about the spell, I didn't really mean to do it without talking to you but I got caught up in it." Zoë leaned forward kissing her throat.

"Mmmm lost a point for mentioning the spell." Beth pulled her body back a little.

"Hey I should get two points for apologising." Zoë pouted.

"Mmmm you could be going into minus figures if you dare suggest I'm not assessing the points correctly." Bethany warned.

"Yes Miss." Zoë smiled. "You look beautiful you know, all pink cheeks and that growl in your voice." She leaned closer again caressing the smaller girl's thigh.

"You like me with the petrified look?" Beth arched an eyebrow.

"No right now, beautiful." Zoë reached up caressing slowly around her chin.

"Mmmm one point." Beth wiggled a little loving the attention.

"I love you, with all my heart I hope you know that." Zoë whispered.

"I do, as I love you, you don't get points for stating the obvious." She beamed.

"I want to go upstairs and make love to you." Zoë leaned in to kiss her throat.

"Mmmmmm." Beth felt herself melt a little. "You never play fair do you."

"Never." Zoë licked up slowly to her ear.

"I used to think that sex in times of peril think was just a movie ploy." Beth pointed out.

"We're not in peril, we're going to beat this." Zoë assured her softly. "Which is why I want to make love to you and underline that we are alive and going to stay that way."

"Okay, you've won." Beth laughed softly, knowing she was beaten.

-x-

Buffy looked across the front expanse of the house from her position on the porch.

She could still feel the anger and uncertainty boiling under her skin.

'Ubers.' The thought kept rolling over and over in her mind. She gripped her hand onto the wood of the banister. 'How stupid have I been this whole time? Thinking that this little stronghold has actually been anything more than a step right into the First's plan? Sitting here on my ass, giving it time to conjure Ubers, day after day so that it now had an army of them.'

"You had enough time or should I go back in?" From behind her Piper's soft voice inquired.

"I don't know if I will ever have enough time." Buffy drove her hand down splitting the wood. "It's been playing us Piper."

"I talked to Sandra." Piper stepped out and put her hands lightly over Buffy's. "Let go." She whispered softly, kissing the Slayer's neck.

"Go?" Buffy turned her attention split a bit after the kiss.

"Of all that guilt." Piper pulled her hands softly and turned her around to face her. "This is not your fault." She looked into hazel eyes.

"I should have... it's obvious what its been doing." Buffy shook her head lightly.

"No, it's not." Piper shook her head. "It sounds it now we know, but it didn't before, else we would have thought of it." She pointed out.

"I should have thought of it." Buffy disagreed again.

"Why, because if out thinking the First evil is a slayer thing, then I sure as hell am going to be a disappointment to the next generation." Piper shook her head.

"We almost fed it Beth tonight, on what a hunch?" Buffy cursed her own idea.

"A hunch that paid off, it won Beth over and helped us work out that it thought it had a surprise waiting for us but that we were a step ahead of it. Nothing bad came out of tonight Buffy, nothing." She stressed moving her hand up her lover's arm.

"How are we going to face an army of Ubers and still defeat it?" Buffy looked at her feeling completely overwhelmed and irrational.

"Like we face everything, together." Piper replied, moving her hand up to cup the blonde's cheek. "This isn't just you verses the world baby."

"We have to beat it, we have to beat it now." Buffy hissed.

"We're going to." Piper nodded frowning slightly.

"I'm sick of waiting, I'm sick of letting it attack us." Buffy looked out into the dark night. "I want to make it feel pain."

"Buffy, we're going to win, but we need to move when we have the best chance." Piper frowned harder at the tone of the Slayer's words.

"I just wish there were vamps left so I could kill about ten dozen of them." Her voice was icy.

"Take me on." Piper broke away from her and took on a ready stance.

"What?" Buffy looked at her incredulously. "I'm not fighting you Piper."

"Come on," Piper beckoned her. "You're angry, scared and pissed off, and you need to strike out, I can take you."

"Piper, I'm not fighting you." She shook her head harder.

"Then kiss me instead." Piper gave her a winning smile.

"Did you hit your head?" Buffy stepped closer checking her.

"Oh Buffy." Piper shook her head and pulled the blonde close, pressing her lips, directly and purposefully to Buffy's as she held her tightly to her body.

Buffy was caught completely off guard but on automatic her body melted a little into the taller woman's. Piper used her lips and tongue softly to ease Buffy's mouth open as she took the kiss deep and pressed her hands under Buffy's top and onto the blonde's back.

Buffy's mind wanted to protest but her adrenaline filled body was more interested in arching against the touch and opening her lips to let her lover's tongue inside.

After letting her tongue slowly and thoroughly explored Buffy's mouth, and her hands covered every inch of the Slayer's long back, Piper pulled back from the kiss.

"Let's, for tonight, think about making love, not war." She whispered.

"Mmmm we should go downstairs to bed." Buffy conceded.

"We should." Piper nodded and simply took Buffy's hand. "When I say I love you Buffy, I mean it, and I mean that I'm not going to let this fight be about you against the world."

"I know... I'm just not used to having someone... anyone like you." The blonde blinked at her.

"That's because there is only one me, just like there is only one you." Piper followed the contour of Buffy's jaw with her other hand.

"I feel cold." She admitted closing her eyes a little.

"Come here." In an unusual move Piper turned a little and lifted Buffy into her arms so that the Slayer's body sat cradled against her own. "Rest and let me keep you warm baby." She began to carefully carry her inside

-x-

Faith sat crossed legged on the bed feeling particularly stupid dressed in just her boxers and strap top with Dawn's bear feet slippers on her hands.

"Do I really have to keep these on?" She grumbled.

"You said dare." Dawn giggled. "I still have these on." She flicked at the boxer shorts she had on over her jeans.

"Yeah but I'm the Slayer, what if a crisis happened?" Faith pointed out.

"Okay, okay, you can take them off." Dawn relented. "But you owe me a truth then."

"Go on then." Relieved Faith pulled off the slippers and tossed them aside, she was happy to stay in the more relaxed outfit.

"Mmmm let me see." Dawn moved over and sat down beside her. "What is your favourite part of the body?"

"Legs." Faith said without thinking.

"Truth or dare." Dawn leaned looking at her.

"Truth." She said propping up her head with a pillow.

"What did you think when you kissed me?" The brunette's voice was soft.

"Like I said, you tasted great, soft lips." Faith was honest.

"But did you feel anything?" Dawn held dark eyes and unconsciously licked her lips.

"Of course I felt something D, I was kissing a beautiful woman." Faith pointed out.

"Just generic feelings?" Dawn's question came quickly.

"No specific feelings." Faith shifted a little uncomfortably.

"Oh... you're turn." Dawn leaned over on her back misunderstanding the cadence of the other woman's answer.

"What did you feel when I kissed you?" Faith asked not even bothering to ask truth or dare.

"I..." Dawn took a deep breath feeling her body go flush as she thought of the small but amazing memory. She glanced at Faith thinking of her recent answer. "Now I know what all the fuss is about."

"You have kissed before right?" Faith checked.

"Oh yeah, a few times." Dawn nodded. "Even a girl... once... well sorta." She offered not wanting Faith to think she was a geek.

"A girl, do tell." Faith smiled relaxing again.

"Jessica Duke, we were playing spin the bottle and it fell on us. She's one of those really cool girls, so when the boys started teasing that we wouldn't go in the closet together and Jessie said screw that and she dragged me in with her." Dawn shrugged. "She just kissed me to make the guys think she was even hotter. Though she did say I was sexy, though that might have been to tease them."

"Well good for you." Faith clapped her slowly. "I guess I had my turn, over to you."

"I dare you to kiss me again." Dawn breathed out not thinking about asking truth or dare either.

"I think I'd rather dare you to kiss me." Faith replied without missing a beat.

"But it's not your turn." Dawn shook her head holding dark eyes.

"But I don't play by the rules." Faith didn't break eye contact.

Dawn licked her lips again, slowly moving across the bed, looking down at Faith's lips and then back up to her eyes several times. Finally she leaned in closer and closing her eyes pressed her lips to Faith. Faith pushed up a little and put her arm around the slight young woman's back pulling her close. Dawn moaned as she felt her body pulled closer, feeling the Slayer's skin press into her.

For long seconds of time Faith completely forgot where she was and just who she was kissing as she let their lips part and her hot tongue trace over Dawn's lips. Anxiously Dawn's mouth opened as she pushed closer, breathing out through her nose wanting the offer to be fulfilled.

It was as the dark haired Slayer pressed her tongue through into the younger woman's mouth, picking up on the trace of milk and cookies from earlier that she remembered in a flash just what she was doing. Making the break appear like a moment taken for air, she pulled free of the kiss.

"Why did you stop?" The brunette questioned her breathing heavy.

"Need to breathe D, might be a slayer, but you know still need oxygen." Faith tried to be casual.

"Whose turn is it?" Dawn tried to be casual as well.

"Yours, I snuck in a turn." Faith pointed out.

"I want to kiss you again." Dawn leaned closer to her moving in to kiss her without permission.

"Dawn..." Faith had to pull back as she felt her inner temperature press higher and desire flood her brain.

"Where are you going?' Dawn stopped as she watched her scrambling away.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Faith stood up by the bed suddenly very aware she was wearing very little.

"We were just kissing." Dawn didn't agree.

"But we shouldn't even be kissing." Faith tried to focus. "Dawn, we're not... you and I aren't…" She looked at the other woman and had to look away not able to ignore the soft trace outline of the other woman's nipples under her lilac top.

"Aren't what? Okay just say it, you don't find me attractive. Fine, I can take it."

Dawn sighed and sat up. "Look I'm just going to go to bed then."

"Of course I find you fucking attractive." Faith scowled and moved over grasping hold of the brunette's upper right arm. She stared into dark eyes hearing her own breathing and heart beat pumping in her ears.

"Faith... Faith." Dawn called to her again. "Faith, that's too tight." She reached up pressing her fingers over the dark Slayer's.

"Shit." Faith grimaced and more or less threw Dawn back as she released her. "Get out." She looked away moving over to brace her hand on the dresser.

"What?" Dawn questioned looking at her.

"I said get out. Go up stairs, sleep your happy safe little dreams and leave me alone." Faith kept turned away her hands balling into tight fists.

"FINE!" Dawn barked at her awkwardly moving to take off the shorts she still had on. "Be a... be a bitch." She threw them at Faith stalking to the stairs. "I didn't feel anything specific either, it was all generic." She growled trying to keep the hot feeling out of her eyes.

"Dawn! D!" Faith turned hearing the pain in Dawn's voice.

"Don't okay, don't give me some stupid line about how it was nice or one day I'll make someone happy okay, just shove it." Dawn looked at her with her eyes flaring between anger and tears.

"I'm telling you to go before I do something you don't want to do." Faith tried to explain.

"Really, because..." Dawn stepped back down a bit. "Because what I really didn't want was to be sent upstairs to bed."

"Dawn, you know me, you know me of old and I may have changed, but some things about me are just me." Faith shook her head. "I told you to leave because… because I wanted more than just kissing."

"More?" The word made the brunette falter a bit. "Why can't we just kiss? Why is it all or nothing?" She questioned in a small voice.

"It's not." Faith shook her head. "I don't want it to be." She adapted her sentence slightly.

"But, you said you wanted more, like there was only kissing or..." Dawn swallowed. "Sex."

"No, that's not what I meant." Faith shook her head. "I meant I wanted more. I wanted to hold you, sleep beside you maybe, I wanted it to be more than kisses yeah." She tried to explain something she wasn't even sure she could, after all none of this was normal for her.

"That's what I want." Dawn looked at the bed. "To find out what it's like to be held when I sleep, to feel what it's like to kiss you 'till I can't stay awake."

"Lay down." Faith nodded to the bed. Dawn moved slowly over and did what she asked. Pulling open the top drawer Faith pulled out a pair of long cotton pants and pulled them on over her shorts. Crossing to the bed she lay down next to Dawn and stretched her arm out along the top of the pillows. "Come here." She motioned with her head. Dawn scooted over resting her head on Faith's arm. "The twins are comfier." She smiled seeing the careful way Dawn had lowered her head.

Dawn grinned as she moved over resting her head on her closest breast and closed her eyes. This felt so completely different than any other time she'd cuddled up with anyone. She could hear Faith's heart beating a little faster than it should and she felt her own body shiver.

"Comfy?" Faith asked her voice unusually soft.

"Very, though you're distracting." Dawn admitted her voice a whisper as she moved her hand up over Faith's stomach.

"I am? I thought I was being super good." Faith chuckled.

"You are." Dawn nodded slightly. "Just it's amazing being this close to you."

"Slayer BO huh." Faith laughed more.

"No, you're soft." She settled her hand, palm down, on Faith's side.

"Do I look hard and bony normally?" Faith asked dropping her arm down to cup around Dawn's shoulder.

"I meant..." Dawn thought about it. "Tender." She turned her head up to look into dark eyes.

"I thought you wanted to go to sleep." Faith looked down trying not to focus on the very odd word being used to describe her and how for the first time it was probably a truthful appraisal of how she was managing to act.

"Okay." She turned her head back settling her cheek against the comfy flesh. "Night Faith." She whispered closing her eyes.

"Good night D, Sleep well." Faith pressed her lips into soft brown hair.

-x-

"Thank you all for coming." Tara looked around at the small group she had looking at her from around the dining room table. Giles and Sandra were seated at the far end of the table, as always impeccably dressed and alert looking.

Zoë and Beth were next, Tara couldn't help but smile at the English girl's presence, it made her heart glad for the Canadian and gave Beth a few more plus points of admiration. Not everyone would respond to the mass of apparent insanity she'd walked into like Beth had, that had to give the girl something in the way of respect.

Opposite them were Buffy and Owl, the blonde almost had to look twice at them to comprehend that they were actually sat on the same chair. Buffy was curled up almost child like on Piper's lap. The newest Slayer had her hand protectively over Buffy's legs and around her back to keep her in place.

Then there was Faith, usual position feet up on the French polished table, cigarette in her hand. Opposite to her was Kennedy at Tara's request. The SIT looked almost uncomfortable, as if worried about why her presence had been requested.

Then sat beside the blonde witch, as always, was Willow, her bright green eyes watching Tara, her face secure with both respect and support. Again Tara had to smile, how she loved Willow, she wasn't she anyone would ever comprehend just how much the redhead completed her.

"I've been working." Tara began.

"And when she says working she means it, I didn't get any cuddles..." Willow began to object.

"Willow, sweetie, they don't need to know that." Tara arched an eyebrow and smiled softly at her lover. "I've worked out why Mr. Giles couldn't do the spell."

"The reason being?" Zoë asked the all-important question first.

"Purity." Tara replied with a slightly lop-sided frown. "It's an element of the spell lost a long and I mean long time ago in early translations of the text. The spell requires a purity of essence." She saw them all looking at her a bit lost. "To explain, in order to create a form, a shell, that is then used to carry something else, it has to be created empty else the essence would be changed. It's like, if you want a glass of water, you can't have an inch of milk already in the bottom of it." She looked around to check if people were following, they seemed to be so she continued.

"I only looked into it because of Candice, I couldn't understand why she would choose to do this, and then I realised because of what I have found out, I don't think she chose so much as was chosen. She had the purity of spirit and power to create an empty shell to recreate me, if she had already tapped into her power the result wouldn't have been a realistic me, it would have been, for want of a better word, tainted." She took a breath. "Now, I don't know, because you know me, I've never been one for the questions, but I'm guessing Mr. Giles." She glanced at the Watcher. "It's fair to say you've 'tapped' into your magical power source." She worded careful trying to avoid offence.

"Well yes, that would be more than fair to say." The Watcher nodded reaching up to straighten his tie.

"It also means that Willow and I would never have been able to perform the spell either, the spell chose Zoë because it knew that she could provide the untapped, pure power it needed to succeed." Tara turned to look at the Canadian with a soft smile.

"But I've done some spells." Zoë protested softly. "I mean I've used magic." She shook her head not quite being able to accept that she 'was the one' to do this.

"Yes." Tara nodded still smiling. "But floating a fork isn't tapping into your magical power source Zoë, that's well, a parlour trick."

"So you mean Maple Leaf has got a whole shit load of power just waiting for this spell?" Faith put forward enthusiastically.

"Basically." Tara turned to her. "Yes."

"Did you figure out anything else? Anyway perhaps we can help her train for the final phase of the spell?" Giles looked at the blonde witch.

"Not yet." Tara shook her head. "But I'm working on it and I have come up with something else, not connected to Zoë's part in all of this." She added quietly.

Everyone looked at her waiting for the additional information, except for the Canadian who was looking down thinking about what she had been told. Guessing that she had stumbled into the spell had been a lot more comforting then believing she was somehow a central figure in all of this.

"I think, that is I believe I've found away to imbue weapons." Tara took a small breath, knowing that not even Willow knew she had been looking at this. But she'd not been able to, having briefly over heard Buffy and Owl out on the porch the night before as she closed the bedroom window.

"Imbue weapons how?" Buffy sat up a bit in Owl's lap.

"To help against Ubers." Tara looked at her. "I think, no I know I've found away to imbue wood with the strength of titanium." She said calmly. "Ubers can be staked, through the heart, it's just that their hide is very tough, a little a reinforced flack jacket so wood breaks. But Titanium is stronger, and if pushed with enough force would go through it."

"So that the SIT's can do some damage?" Kennedy sat up taller in her chair.

"Exactly." Tara nodded. "I... I brought a stake that I imbued just before the meeting." She put it on the table and pushed it towards the SIT. "I can only imbue wood with the strength of titanium I can't do it to other metals, because basically what this does is add an element of one to the element of another, it wouldn't work with two metallic elements." She explained looking at Kennedy to pick up the stake. "If I'm right, then Kennedy should be able to put that stake." She glanced around, her eyes falling on a wall mounted metal shield. "Though that shield."

Kennedy licked her tongue out over her lower lip picking it up. She could feel everyone's eyes on her back as she moved over towards the shield and taking a slight breath reached back before she lunged forward. It took a little strain but the wooden stake struck into the thick metal with a solid creak and lodged into the wall beyond.

"Wicked cool." The SIT turned and grinned.

"There are draw backs." Tara chewed her lip a little.

"What draw backs?" Buffy asked not wanting to get too excited.

"Well firstly, it's not permanent." Tara explained. "The longest I've managed to sustain it is an hour." She replied. "And secondly, we can only do a limited number, maybe twenty, but no more."

"I'm still seeing big possibilities here." Faith looked at the other Slayers.

"We can use anything we can get." Buffy nodded.

"I'm sorry it's not a wonder solution." Tara apologised momentarily.

"It's great Tara." Buffy looked at her and smiled softly. "I think it's time we start mapping out an attack plan. How and where we want to do all of this." She pushed up to stand moving over to retrieve the map of Sunnydale they had.

"We still need to tell them about the other complication." Willow looked at Giles, her eyes flicking over to Zoë.

"Other complication?" Buffy frowned as she felt the wind taken from her sails.

"Well... It's..." Giles floundered momentarily as he looked at Zoë.

"Whatever injury you inflict on the First before you kill it, will hurt Zoë too." Willow whispered the horrible fact. "So, we have to plan to kill it in one blow." She tried to be positive but then felt even the weight of that push down on her further.

"What?" It was Tara's voice that broke the silence, cool blue eyes staring at her lover. "Y-Y-You never told me that." She stuttered frowning.

"I didn't now, not until after she'd done it." Willow bit her lip and looked away.

"Did you know?" Tara turned and stared this time at Zoë.

"It was a condition of the spell." Zoë stood up under the accusing stare. "I made sure that he knew about it, all of the conditions. It doesn't matter, the Slayers will do their job and I'll do mine. I just... I just have to pull out before they land the blow that's all. I mean Hell how hard is that going to be." Her voice was tight. "I'm the big ball of untapped purity right? No biggie."

"All last night, when I was working, I can't believe you didn't tell me." Tara turned back to Willow, her blue eyes angry. "Trust Willow, what happened to that? Do you remember the big need to talk to each other about things chat?" Her voice grew harder. "I'll be in my room." She pushed up and stalked from the room.

"I thought you..." Willow tried to object but the blonde was already gone. "I thought she already knew." She looked around at everyone ashamed.

"Stay here. I'll go talk to her." Zoë put up her hand stilling everyone before they could break into chaos. "Start the planning. Get everything ready." She leaned down kissing Beth on the cheek. "I'll be back in a minute baby." She assured her and then moved up the stairs. She didn't even bother knocking as she pushed into Tara and Willow's room. "Okay you're not mad at Willow, you're mad at me so don't take this out on her." Zoë warned the other witch.

"No, I'm disappointed with both of you, and I'm mad at me." Tara contradicted from her place on the bed, surrounded already by open magic books.

"She thought you'd read the spell, you had it in your hands a half dozen times." Zoë pointed out. "And come on Tara, it doesn't matter. This is the way the spell is. The First and me, I give it a body and I take its shit. How else could we manage this?"

"You should have told me, I shouldn't have had to read it." Tara bit back. "I would have worked on it more, before you threw yourself into the lions den. I could have done the spell." She shook her head. "It calls for a purity of essence, not untapped power." She seethed. "I just didn't want Willow or Mr. Giles to feel guilty for choices they may have made in the past." She frowned hard. "It should have been me."

"Tara, you're blinding yourself here." Zoë shook her head back. "It is a purity issue, magic and physical. You've killed things, demons and vampires. I've never killed anything bigger than a fish while fishing I might add."

"We don't know that for sure." Tara shook her head. "Anyway talk about it is pointless now, you've cast the initial spell, what's done is done." Her voice was unusually sharp for the docile witch.

"Do you think I can do this?" The Canadian asked her point blank her voice hard and demanding.

"Now you ask for my input?" Tara snapped back.

"No, I'm not actually. I'm asking because I can tell by the look on your face that you don't think I can. You think I'm going to get myself killed and worse I'm going to get everyone else killed." Zoë growled back at her. "No, even worse than that, you think this was some cowboy bravery thing I had going when I asked M to let me bring the book. Well then fuck you Tara Maclay, because I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to have to meld with the greatest world evil and keep it physical enough for your crazy slayers to kill me or it or both of us. I stepped into that spell pissed off because Giles was telling me I screwed it up. Yes, story of my life, I leapt then I thought wow that was stupid. But maybe the damn universe knows a hell of a lot more than the rest of us do, remember how you used to tell me that? How you used to tell me that one-day I'd know exactly what everyone else thought they saw in me, find the power they thought was hiding in here with the pride and the stupidity? Or was that just a way of appeasing the stupid witch who had no right studying beside you?"

Tara pushed up from her place on the bed and slapped Zoë hard across the face, the noise echoing through the room.

"Don't you ever, ever tell me what I am thinking again Zoë Hanlon!" She snarled as soon as the noise faded. "Of course I think you can do it, no, I know you can do it, I just thought…" She paused her voice softening a little. "I hoped the bond we shared between us meant that you could talk to me about things. Things like this." She glanced back at the pile of books behind her. "Now if all you have come to do is swear at me and shout then please…" She glanced up at the door. "Leave, because you've done that now." Her voice barely a sad whisper by this time as she turned to go back to the bed.

"You hit me?" Zoë's voice was almost childlike in its disbelief and she put her own hand up near the burning mark that was appearing on her cheek.

"I hurt my hand." Tara admitted turning around again, tears filling her blue eyes.

"I have a hard head." Zoë frowned tilting her head, as she pulled her hand down not bothering to touch her cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you directly about it. I didn't really think of it as being real you know and with Mr. Giles doing the spell I didn't think it would be a worry. He's got practice and power. I never expected it to work for me Tara."

"You silly thing." Tara stepped closer and closed her arms around Zoë holding her close. "I always told you, you were the one to watch." She shook her head as she hooked her chin over Zoë's shoulder.

"Apparently someone needs to keep me on a leash cause I'm a danger to myself." Zoë reached to hug her back.

"Given the chance I'm sure Beth would love to." Tara pulled back slightly to look at Zoë. "And I didn't mean anything kinky by that." She blushed lightly. "I'm sorry I hit you." She raised her hand and laid it flat over Zoë's cheek, looking into the taller woman's eyes.

"It's okay I probably needed it." Zoë shook her head a little. "And come on you love the kink secretly." She tried to get a smile from the blonde and was rewarded by the tiniest one.

"I'm going to stop it killing you, you know that don't you?" Tara vowed softly. "I'll work until I find something, anything."

"Maybe waiting was just my greatly timed way to have you focus on the weapons and the mimic spell before you gave me all of your attention?" Zoë winked at her and the blonde chuckled sadly.

"What does Bethany think?" Tara pulled fully away not sure her closeness was appreciated.

"She was pissed." Zoë laughed basically shadowed with her as they went over to the bed and sat down. "I'm scared Tara." She admitted softly. "The power in that spell was amazing, it was like I was flying, like I could see every molecule in the room."

"That's probably because you could, every magical element anyway." Tara clarified. "You can do this Zoë of that I have no doubt." She underlined again. "The big problem is going to be living with the size of your ego when you pull it off." She smiled more.

"I'm not going to die Tara." The Canadian shook her head. "I said this to Beth and I meant it, I haven't come all this way through everything in my life to let some skanky ghost kill me. Whatever the Slayers need to throw at it, I can survive it. I just know I can. There was actually something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Go on then." Tara smiled. "Before I dive into research, or fall asleep."

"Well I've been trying to downplay it but." She reached up pulling down the V-neck of her T-shirt a bit. "These haven't stopped dribbling. They aren't deep, I mean they wouldn't even hold a stitch but they won't stop bleeding."

"Take it off." Tara smiled at Zoë's sudden found shyness. Zoë smiled and pulled the shirt off in a quick motion.

"It doesn't really hurt or anything, more like a nasty paper cut." She admitted.

Tara leaned in and drew her finger close to the edge of one of the cuts, noting that the skin wasn't even red or inflamed.

"They're magical." Tara pulled back and crossed to her bedside cabinet.

"Magical? Does this mean that I'm already connected to it?" Zoë questioned looking down at them with a scowl. "Hey that means you just slapped the First, you go butch Tara." She teased grinning making Tara chuckle again.

"You're not connected to it Zoë, you're connected to the power that will create the vessel, there is a big difference. That's why this spell is as dangerous as it is. Both you and the First will be drawn into the vessel, you as the creator and the First as the harnessed essence. It's the vessel that will receive the damage, which is why you will, see?" She checked.

"Seeing." Zoë nodded. "So what I have to do is pull out of the vessel a fraction before the vessel is destroyed so that it's just the First that goes down with it."

"Exactly." Tara nodded. "I can help these though." She added crossing back over carrying a small jar of salve. "Get Beth to rub that on them every morning and night. It will stop the oozing, but you will have to wash it off before bed before Beth replaces it for the night." She explained. "What it does it stem the leak of magical energy." Tara began unscrewing the top but stopped. "I suppose Beth should do this bit." She held it out.

"Tara, don't be silly. Put it on." Zoë just sat there. "You already got me half naked."

Tara opened the jar and very gently applied the soft gel like ointment.

"She's beautiful." Tara said quietly as she worked.

"You think?" Zoë smiled.

"Yes, very…" Tara paused. "British." She chuckled. "In the Elizabeth Taylor way rather than the Mr. Giles way of being British."

"Willow's a sweetheart, but you know that already." The Canadian smiled at her. "You told her about the kiss didn't you?" She confirmed her suspicion.

"Yes." Tara nodded easily. "Did you tell Beth?"

"Yeah." Zoë nodded back. "Do you need help looking for ways to keep me alive?" She questioned softly.

"Actually I'd be more grateful if you went back down stairs and got my fiancée." Tara stepped back.

"No problem." Zoë moved to carefully put her shirt back on. "So the goo twice a day, wash off before reapplying yeah?" She stood up tucking it back in.

"Yes." Tara nodded. "Zoë." She said as she went back to the bed. "Tell me honestly, did I do okay down there?"

"You mean with everyone, yeah you were great. Even yelling at Willow was expected." Zoë nodded. "I think it'll get everyone in war mood, where is exactly where we need to be."

"Words are relatively easy." Tara said and then laughed. "From the girl who stutters."

"You're a General in this Tara." Zoë bent down next to her. "You can stutter all you want but when it comes to positions and who does what you have to be firm, I don't care what the big butch Slayers say okay. If it feels wrong to you then you speak up. Everyone trusts your judgement so let them hear it."

"Well go on then, go take your goo and get my girlfriend." Tara shooed her out with a smile.

"Yes Sir." Zoë stood up and did her best salute.

-x-

Buffy looked over the makeshift map, as did everyone who was gathered around filling in the edges of the table.

"Okay so here is the Hellmouth and the high school." She pointed to the red teeth that were drawn inside the outline of a building on the map. "What we know is that we need vantage for Zoë to be close but not more vulnerable than she needs to be." She moved out a Barbie that they had dubbed 'Zoë'. "I say here on the roof of the science building, meaning Faith and her crew can lead the First and the Ubers in through her to the football field and soccer field." She let the dark Slayer moved the GI Joe that was her and its small herd of green army figures that represented the titanium armed SIT's. "Owl and her crew." She moved in another batch of blue coloured army men from the houses and a Ninja Turtle figure that was to represent Piper's location. "Can use the houses as cover to come in from the side and do one of those scissors troop moves Xander was talking about to box in the Ubers. This should draw the First out." She put in the transformer figure in the middle of it all. "Giles and Sandra with some of the other SIT's can run point for Zoë." She moved the salt and pepper and some army men around the Barbie doll. "When Faith and Owl's teams have blown down enough Ubers she can begin the spell." She pulled the two other Barbie's up and put them near the open area at the back of the science centre. "From here I'll protect Tara and Willow while they mimic the staff. Then when I have three I'll bring them out for Owl and Faith." She moved her own representation, the Xena figure they'd found near the computer upstairs. "The three of us go directly for the First, this is when everyone else will be the most vulnerable." She moved them in around the transformer "We strike and Zoë pulls back from the spell."

"But what about the Hellmouth?" Kennedy pointed at the jaws that were under Zoë and at everyone's back.

"The Hellmouth is sealed, we can't expect anything to come directly from it. Not unless we fail." Buffy looked to the Watcher's for confirmation.

"Indication is that the Hellmouth is indeed sealed, we have no reason to believe it's not." Giles nodded.

"And where am I?" Spike looked at them all as he appeared in the doorway lighting a cigarette.

"You're here." Buffy moved a fork over put it at the bottom of the building. "You keep Bringers from getting to Zoë. If Zoë goes down this is all pointless."

"What about me?" Beth asked looking at the odd collection on the table.

"You're here with Dawn and anyone too injured to fight." Buffy pointed at Revello Street.

"I'm not staying here." Dawn's voice came from the doorway.

"I need you here helping take care of everyone." Buffy looked up at her sister.

"I'm not staying here." Dawn shook her head again. "I want to be on Faith's team."

"Dawn, you're not baiting Ubers." Faith shook her head looking across at the brunette.

"What?" Dawn stared at Faith. "But... what about..." She frowned her hands balling into tight fists.

"That means you are definitely not on the Uber baiting team." Faith held angry brown eyes not rising to the tantrum she seemed ready to have.

"Its not fair!" Dawn turned and ran from the room.

"Faith?" Buffy looked at the dark Slayer her voice steely. She knew this must have something to do with the recent conversation she'd had with her sister.

"I'll go talk to her." Faith moved out following the brunette's path. "Dawn... Dawn!" She called trying to get her to stop when the reached the door of the other house.

"What?" Dawn stopped and turned angrily.

"What did you want me to say? Yes, Dawn I want you out baiting Ubers in the most dangerous assignment there is short of Zoë's whole vessel thing." Faith barked back.

"I want to be near you." Dawn put her hand on her slender hips.

"And I want you somewhere safe." Faith leaned against the front column.

"Why?" Dawn asked blinking doe eyes at the dark Slayer.

"You know why." Faith stood up and paced a bit.

"No, I don't. Because I'm Buffy's kid sister and she'll beat your ass if you let me get hurt?" Dawn posed on reason.

"Because if I'm worried about what's happening with you I can't fight all out." Faith shook her head.

"I want to kiss you." Dawn moved closer.

"Why?" The dark Slayer bit back her initial reaction asking the question in an even voice.

"Do I have to have a reason?" Dawn asked blinking.

"A moment ago you were pissed at me now you want to make out?' Faith asked confused by the fluctuating emotions.

"Because you're kinda pouting. You have a sexy kind of pout." Dawn nodded.

"You're not going on my team Dawn." Faith shook her head not retreating from the brunette physically but making sure that Dawn understood the point was never negotiable.

"I know when not to argue." Dawn pointed out. "It's part of growing up."

"Good." Faith's eyes dragged up and down Dawn's body.

"Why did you leave this morning without waking me?" Dawn asked her voice going softer.

"You were asleep, you looked comfy." The Slayer explained with a shrug. "I had to train the SIT's."

"So it wasn't because you didn't want to see me?" Dawn checked.

"Dawn I wouldn't have stayed at all if that was the case." Faith shook her head.

"I slept like a log." Dawn moved a little closer still.

"Dawn..." Faith felt her body heating up at the closeness.

"What?" Dawn frowned instantly worried.

"You look hot." The Slayer smirked.

"So can I?" Dawn stopped only inches from the Slayer.

"Yeah but I have to get back to the meeting." Faith looked at the other woman's lips.

"It's only a kiss." The brunette reminded.

"Are you sure about that?" Faith leaned forward kissing her full on the lips.

Dawn literally dipped at the knees as she felt Faith's lips on her own. Faith couldn't believe those good the slight taste of lip-gloss was on Dawn's pink lips. Finding her strength again Dawn pushed back a little and looped her arms around Faith's neck, kissing her a little harder.

"Dawn, I told you I have to get back to the meeting." Faith indulged in the kisses for a few moments before she pulled her lips away.

"But..." Dawn let her arms slip.

"D, I have to." She underlined. "We have to get a plan."

"I didn't realise there was a meeting, why did no one tell me?" Dawn frowned softly.

"It's impromptu." Faith explained. "Tara had some ideas, then her and Zoë had a fight then we started planning."

"Tara had a fight?" Dawn frowned.

"You should have seen the hand mark Maple Leaf had." Faith laughed. "Tara tried to clean her clock."

"Tara hit her!" Dawn's eyes grew wider.

"I guess Blondie isn't the push over everyone thought she was." Faith shrugged. "Dawn, it's fine, they're cool now."

"This whole thing is making people crazy." Dawn sighed.

"I know, but we're going to make it better." Faith vowed. "And you're going to be safe."

"I'll wait in your room for you." Dawn smiled and tried to find a happier thought.

"I don't know how long the meeting will be Dawn. You could come help plan.' Faith motioned back to the house.

"I wasn't invited." Dawn reminded.

"I'm inviting you." Faith reached down taking her hand and pulling her towards the house.

"But Buffy..." Dawn frowned but flexed her hand around Faith's.

"As long as we're clear, you're not at the fight site, then I don't see a problem." Faith checked.

"Clear." Dawn squeezed.

-x-

Dawn came into the kitchen with some empty cups as everyone slowly dispersed from the big meeting. She moved slowly to put them in the dishwasher watching for a few moments as Tara puttered with the teapot as she steeped her herbal concoction.

"Hi." She offered softly smoothing down her skirt.

"Hi there Dawnie." Tara smiled brightly. "Is that a plea for coffee or hot chocolate?"

"Hot chocolate would be great, but I more... I wanted to see how you were." Dawn reached up rubbing down Tara's arm.

"Oh, you heard about this morning?" Tara turned to look at the tall young woman knowing immediately from the look on her face.

"Yes, Faith told me." Dawn nodded. "Is everything okay?"

"I... I didn't sleep at all last night, I think I'm tired and a little strung out." Tara put her hand over Dawn's and patted it lightly. "I'll be fine."

"You don't have to be." Dawn reminded her. "Tara, it's crazy around here. You deserve a chance to get a bit crazy more than anyone."

"Would you like to come and sit on the porch with me? I miss 'us' time." Tara offered.

"That would be nice." She nodded.

"Want cookies?" The blonde checked.

"Did Beth bake more?" Dawn perked up.

Tara nodded and pointed to the pantry as she made Dawn's drink. The brunette moved over and retrieved a small plate of them to take outside so that they could share. As the brunette wasn't sat there long as soon Tara opened the door and took the drinks out placing them next to the plate.

"Okay what's wrong sweetie?" Tara sat down.

"I'm just glad we have a chance to hang out together." Dawn took a part of a cookie evading the question.

"Dawnie, I may have been away for a while, but I know that look." Tara chided softly.

"What look?" She tried to cover up.

"The something is going on and I'm trying to deal, but I really need to talk about it…." Tara appraised giving her a long once over. "Look."

"Oh that one." Dawn laughed tightly. "Maybe but I wanted to talk about you and well Zoë. I mean you hit her." She grimaced a bit.

"I slapped her." Tara clarified not wanting anyone to think it had been a punch, not that a slap made it any better. "And I feel horrible about it."

"Are you and her okay? I mean you seemed to be really good friends." Dawn pulled her legs up to put her chin on her knees.

"Yes we're fine, I will be creating make up gifts for a while, but we're fine." Tara smiled rubbing Dawn's leg a little. "Really sweetie, it's fine."

"And you and Willow?' Dawn checked.

"Secret make-up smoochies upstairs when we should have been in the meeting, we're great." She smiled brightly.

"Good. You two need to be happy." Dawn vowed.

"So come on spill." Tara encouraged her knowing they were running out of small talk.

"Do you think of me as a woman or a girl?" Dawn asked pulling apart and slowly eating another cookie.

"A young woman." Tara replied immediately.

"See what does that mean?" Dawn scowled. "Does it mean I'm an adult or a kid?"

"It means you're a young adult." Tara defined.

"So old enough to fall in love?" Dawn kept up her quick questions.

"Of course." Tara nodded.

"Old enough to have needs?" She asked the question that had got such mixed reactions.

"Needs?" Tara asked softly for clarification.

"You know... needs..." Dawn felt herself go a bit pink. "Sexy needs."

"Oh those." Tara smiled at the brunette's phrase. "Yes Dawn, you're nearly eighteen, definitely old enough to have needs."

"See this is what I told Buffy and she acted like I wanted to go open my own brothel." Dawn frowned hard. "Which I don't." She confirmed unnecessarily.

"No, you just want a bit of personal one to one attention with somebody, am I right?" Tara leaned back and looked at Dawn, seeing the teenager in a new light. It was obvious that though Dawn still looked her fresh faced young self that the brunette was struggling with something ever woman went through, a search for herself in the vastness of the world and at the same time a longing to connection with someone else to share the journey. She ran a short list through her mind and smiled, as the answer became apparent.

"Exactly." Dawn nodded and smiled. "What?" She looked at Tara's appraisal.

"Faith." Tara offered the name simply.

"How did you guess?" Dawn looked at her shocked.

"Because she's beautiful, available, strong, known, and exciting." Tara assessed. "And you've been spending a lot of time with her."

"I think I'm in love with her." The brunette looked at her blinking through long eyelashes.

"What makes you think that?" Tara asked softly.

"Because I want to be with her." Dawn assessed.

"When you say you want to be with her." Tara arched an eyebrow slightly. "You mean..." She looked at the young woman.

"Yes, I think I do. I love to kiss her." Dawn admitted softly. "I... I've had a crush on her for ages."

"Ages being?" Tara tried to get more information.

"Well I could say before, but those are just the memories the monks made up right?" Dawn frowned as her created past slapped her in the face again. "Definitely since she's been back for sure."

"And you've kissed?" Tara continued her research.

"Yes." She answered with a happy far off look. "I sorta did something stupid too but we got over that."

"Do I need to know the something stupid?" The blonde checked feeling a little worried.

"Mmmm I kinda threw myself at her, naked." She frowned and blushed embarrassed.

"Ah." Tara arched her eyebrow. "And she..."

"Turned me down." Dawn sighed.

"Oh Dawnie, hard as that might have been, she did the right thing." The blonde witch leaned over and pulled Dawn into a soft hug.

"But see that's why I love her, everyone would expect Faith to just say okay and sleep with me. She didn't Tara, she was so nice and caring and tender." Dawn hugged her back.

"And so why the need to talk to me?" Tara asked softly leaning back against the railing again.

"Okay, well see that's the problem. She's still on the not sleeping with me kick, well a nothing more than a quick kiss kick." She frowned again.

"Maybe she thinks that it's just a phase, you know, an I'm in peril, don't want to die chaste thing." Tara offered a logical explanation.

"How do I convince her its not?" Dawn looked at her seriously.

"Time, consistency, patience." Tara listed. "And most importantly by talking to her, communication is a big one." She tried to be helpful.

"Tara, this is Faith. She doesn't talk." Dawn bit her lip. "Not about her feelings that's for sure."

"She may have changed." Tara pointed out.

"So I should try harder?" Dawn asked for guidance.

"It's not about trying harder Dawn." Tara shook her head. "It's about reading her moods, feeling how she's feeling, it's being able to know when to just kiss her and hold her, and not ask for information and when to just take everything slowly and at her say so." She explained. "Dawn, the fact that you like her, must scare Faith incredibly."

"Why would that scare her?" Dawn looked at her completely not understanding. "She's been with so many people Tara, I mean I haven't been with anyone."

"Dawn, you're not an anyone or a somebody to Faith, you're Dawn." Tara made an attempt at explaining. "She cares about you deeply."

"Do you really think she does?" She hung onto the small shred of hope.

"She turned you down didn't she?" Tara pointed out.

"Yes, but that means she doesn't want me." Dawn showed her the reality.

"No, it means she didn't want to take advantage of you, which means she cares about you." Tara offered the shred of insight.

"I never thought of that." Dawn smiled.

"That's because some how a beautiful, confident woman like yourself managed to get themselves an inferiority complex." Tara smiled too.

"You would have been proud of Buffy, she only threatened to kill her twice when I talked to her about this." Dawn leaned closer to the blonde.

"You told Buffy?" Tara couldn't hide the surprise.

"I didn't want to hide like a kid you know?" Dawn tried to explain her reason.

"You're not a kid Dawn." Tara leaned back and smiled brightly.

"I thought maybe with Buffy being with Owl now she might understand more." Dawn smiled at the comment.

"She might though…" Tara paused. "You're her baby sister, so Faith's not going to have an easy time of it."

"Do you like Owl?" Dawn changed the conversation slightly.

Tara took a soft breath and thought about her answer before speaking.

"I don't think I know her." She replied honestly.

"She seems nice." The brunette shrugged.

"Yes." Tara nodded softly.

"She seems to make Buffy happy." Dawn offered again.

"Yes, she does." Tara nodded again hating the fact her answers were so short. It was just in all this chaos there hadn't been a lot of time to get the tall confident slayer, who unlike most of the new residents didn't need her support or assistance.

"So is there anyway you would convince everyone to let me come and fight?" Dawn threw in the left-sided question.

"No." Tara chuckled softly and shook her head. "You're needed here."

"Tara there won't be anything going on here." Dawn argued.

"Yes, there will." Tara corrected her quickly.

"Like what? Baking cookies while Beth worries about Zoë?" Dawn questioned sarcastically.

"No, more like being a witch." Tara replied slowly looking across at her.

"A witch?" Dawn looked back at her.

"Yes." Tara nodded. "I may have a little job I need you to do for me. Well for us all."

"I'll do it." Dawn jumped on the offer immediately.

"Well that's nice to hear, but I need to work out more details before I tell you everything, okay?" The blonde explained.

"Okay." Dawn nodded enthusiastically.

"Good, so Faith." Tara returned the conversation. "How do things stand between you now?"

"Occasionally kissage, oh she let me sleep downstairs with her. I know now why Willow likes breasts, very nice pillows." She grinned almost maniacally.

"Oh Dawnie, I think my darling has affected your development." Tara laughed softly.

-x-

Willow carefully folded her skirt over the hanger before she put it in the closet. She'd been making slow progress on putting away her clothes as she watched Tara's intense concentration and worried.

"I know that all this planning is great but we still don't have a spell to actually create three staffs." She looked over to her lover.

"I know." Tara said quietly from her place on the bed.

"I feel like we've been through that book backwards and forwards." She moved back to the bed and sat down fingering the cover of the ancient tome.

"What book?" Tara asked not looking up from her notepad.

"The one your friend sent." Willow explained.

"Oh yes." Tara again didn't actually pay attention.

"Baby, I think we should get a few hours sleep." She reached out putting her hand on the notepad.

"Later." Tara nodded taking the opportunity to rub her forehead smudging a black line across it from the ink that had seeped from the pen in her hand onto her fingers.

"No Tara." Willow pulled the book that Tara was looking at away a bit. "You need rest." She frowned. "And a new pen."

"A new pen?" Tara blinked and looked up, her finger moving to rub her eye.

"You're getting ink all over yourself baby." Willow reached up to stop her. "See." She let the blonde see the ink over her skin. "Come on love, you need some rest." She tossed the pen in the garbage nearby and reached for a tissue from the side table.

"I think there's another pen in the drawer." Tara leaned over the bed.

"Tara." Willow stopped her. "Baby, listen to me. You're going to rest for a bit."

"When we have the answers and this is over then I can rest." Tara righted herself.

"No, you need to rest now. You didn't sleep almost at all last night and this is enough." Willow pulled the books away and put them on the floor. "Even if we find a spell baby you need to be rested."

"I know but we need to do this soon." Tara objected lightly. "Everyone is getting jumpy."

"We'll find something we always do." Willow assured her. "Now lay down." She pressed on her shoulders lightly to guide her.

"No Will, I have to do this." Tara tried to stop her.

"You need to rest." Willow restated her voice a bit firmer.

"I..." She stopped and blinked red rimmed blue eyes at her lover.

"Need to rest." The redhead pulled the cover up over them and eased the blonde over to rest on her shoulder. "Just for a while love, then we'll go right back to reading."

"You're very..." Tara stopped. "Calm this evening." She noted as she gave in and nestled on Willow's shoulder.

"I was doing some meditation, trying to get my mind relaxed. It helped a lot." Willow rubbed Tara's back.

"That's good." Tara smiled. "Something you learned in England?"

"Yes, it helps me stay calm." Willow nodded softly.

"I'm so proud of you." Tara smiled more.

"And I'll be proud of you when you close your eyes and let yourself rest." Willow encouraged.

"Me sleeping makes you proud?" Tara arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, because I know how worried you are and how much you want to keep researching." Willow reached up rubbing her temple.

"I'm not worried." Tara denied. "But I do want to keep researching, I don't want to go into this thinking there was more I could have done."

"You're doing everything you can love but sleep is something you need to." Willow kissed her forehead.

"Do I look tired?" Tara asked her voice suddenly flooding with exhaustion.

"You look beautiful." She continued to rub her temple.

"Then I can carry on working." Tara attempted to pull up.

"Hello, resting now." Willow held her in place. "Don't make me get out my resolve face."

"Tell me a story." Tara relaxed her body and closed her eyes.

"There once was a beautiful princes named Tara..." Willow began softly.

-x-


	25. Chapter 25

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Twenty Five.**

Buffy rubbed at her eye and moved to the back door seeing the light on. She looked out to see that her lover was on her hands and knees in the grass.

"Piper, what are you doing?" She moved out onto the back porch.

"Hey baby." Piper jumped up and flicked off the torch, managing not to blind Buffy with it. "You were asleep." She frowned softly.

"I was but I woke up." Buffy padded out barefoot onto the grass. "What are you doing?"

"Er... checking the yards lying flat." Piper offered.

"Really?" Buffy knelt down.

"Hey-hey, what you doing? You'll get all cold, come on sleepy back to bed." Piper shook her head and reached out for Buffy's hand.

"I'm checking on you and I'm not going back to bed 'till you tell me what you're really doing." Buffy looked at her in the very dim light.

"I'm... checking..." Piper sighed. "I've lost my labrys."

"You lost your labrys?" The Slayer looked at her confused.

"The double axe head pendant I wear." Piper reached up to her empty neck.

"Oh your axe." Buffy looked around. "When did you lose it?"

"I... I don't know, I think when we were fooling around with the SITs earlier." Piper pushed up. "But come on, you said you wanted to know what I was doing, that's what I'm doing, so you can come inside and stop getting cold now."

"Oh course I'm not going back to bed. I'm going to help you find your necklace." Buffy shook her head starting to look around in the grass.

"Buffy, come on." Piper shook her head. "You're dog tired and you need to rest up."

"But you lost your axe. I know how pissed off I was when I lost my diamond earring fighting the master." Buffy ran her hands over the ground.

"It's just a piece of jewellery, I don't even think it cost her much..." Piper stopped.

"Piper, we'll find it." Buffy reached out calmly assuring her.

"What I mean is… it... it doesn't matter if we don't, it's a charm, that's all, its not mystical or magical it doesn't mean we're going to loose, it just means I've lost her... it." She babbled.

"Piper." Buffy moved over closer taking her lover's hands. "We're going to find it." She pulled one up and kissed it.

"What time is it?" Piper suddenly asked as she went back to looking, as she didn't seem to be able to put Buffy off.

"Eleven thirty." The Slayer went back to scourging the grass.

"Oh I, I just have to do something, I'll be right back." Piper smiled and moved to the door.

"I'll keep looking." Buffy smiled back at her.

Buffy kept looking a few moments before she stood up and decided to do this a bit more logically. She did a general sweep while looking down before she picked up the flashlight that Piper had left on the stairs. She stood in one place scouring it across the grass until a sparkle reflected back at her.

"There you are." She smiled at her own success as she moved over to the area near the flowers and picked up the chain and locket. "Have to get you fixed." She looked at the broken link." She clutched it in her hand and made her way back inside.

"Piper... guess what I..." She came in stopping when she heard raised voices and moving to the living room she found the source.

"How do I have any idea of what I intend to do when all this is over?" Piper's voice was short and angry.

Buffy hung in the doorway unnoticed listening to what was going on before she spoke.

"It's just a question Piper." Giles' voice came back at her.

"Owl, my name is Owl." Piper snapped at him.

"Owl." Giles tried again. "The bond you have formed with Buffy is admirable, but have you considered the practicality of having more than one slayer in the same place? There are more Hellmouths..."

"There's no guarantee we're all going to make it through this Mr. Giles." Piper seethed.

"This is the conversation we are not having." Buffy injected moving into the room. "Giles go to bed you look like Hell. Piper, you need to sleep too."

"Ah Buffy." Giles turned. "Maybe you can help here." He smiled his voice trailing off when he saw the look on her face. "I asked to see Owl actually. There were a few things we needed to talk about."

"Do these things have anything to do with what we are facing right now?" Buffy questioned him. "And not some stupid Watcher agenda for the future."

"They have somewhat do to with what we are facing." Giles replied.

"Go ahead then." She crossed her hands over her chest.

"I was enquiring at how ready Piper felt to face what we have to do." Giles stood up a little straighter.

"I've already said I'll do my best, what more can I say?" Piper frowned harder, her fists balled up tightly.

"That's all you need to say isn't it Giles?" Buffy scowled at the Watcher knowing he had no idea the pressure he was putting on the other Slayer.

"Yes... that is... Sandra and I were wondering, a little along the lines of what Kennedy suggested when we activated Owl." Giles glanced between the two of them.

"Her hair brain idea about activating more?" Buffy tried to think back.

"Not more, just perhaps one." He offered. "A sort of back up as it were."

"Hell why don't we just activate everyone!" Buffy looked at him incredulously.

"Buffy, you and Faith are seasoned slayers." Giles kept his tone calm. "All I am suggesting is a back up for Piper so that the pressure isn't unbearable for her."

"My name is Owl." Piper snarled.

"Okay so giving your idea a shred of thought." Buffy glared at him. "How less pressure is it when say hmmm someone like Bea is activated? You're betting it's Kennedy and we have no guarantee of that."

"Look why don't I make this easy?" Piper snarled and picked up a dagger that was in the collection of weapons on the table. "How dead is dead?" She said her voice almost completely even. She tossed it in the air and caught it by the hilt over and over.

"Piper put that down please." Buffy looked at her and then seeing her lover's expression she changed her tone making it softer. "Please put it down." She asked again.

"He doesn't think I can do it, none of them do." Piper threw the dagger so that it embedded itself into the tabletop.

"He doesn't think I can do it Piper, it's his job to make us all feel useless." She glanced at Giles.

"Buffy please, that's not what I was suggesting at all." Giles frowned. "You have proved your worth time after time."

"Where as I've what?" Piper stared at him. "Got my Watcher killed, didn't act quick enough to save Dawn and Faith getting a nasty scare?"

"You were the only reason Dawn and Faith are alive, that is proving yourself." Buffy objected.

"Oh come on Buffy we both know the only way I'm going to prove myself is if I manage to somehow pull of a glorious heroic death right?" She glared at the Watcher. "After all I don't quite fit in do I?"

"This isn't about fitting in and it's not about dying. There has been enough death already." Buffy objected at both of them. "This is about being forced into being something none of us really want to be. This is about saving people anyway you can and this is about sometimes failing." She frowned. "A lot of times failing."

"Whatever." Piper shook her head. "I'll leave you to work out the details of the replace Piper plan." She pushed towards the front door.

"Piper." Buffy moved after her.

"Leave her Buffy." Giles called as the front door slammed shut.

"Why? So she can go do something stupid now that you've made her feel useless and second rate?" Buffy glared at him.

"That wasn't my intention in the slightest Buffy, Sandra and I thought of it as a completely supportive plan." He explained their rationale.

"Giles how would you feel if I told you we were going to kill you so that another watcher would pop up, you know just in case we need another stuffy tweed guy around?" Buffy accused.

"Supported?" Giles offered stiffly.

"Funny, since Sandra's been around second guessing you, you've been more irritated than supported." The Slayer pointed out.

"Buffy please, this is hardly constructive." Giles frowned.

"We can't go around killing ourselves so that more of us are activated." Buffy shook her head. "There has to be some cosmic reason why there is only supposed to be one. Piper is now that one. Faith and I are extra's, now your job is to support her, not undermine her and tell her she's not good enough." She moved to the door. "Start doing your job." She pulled it open. "Faith and I don't need watching anymore."

"Hey there Buffy, was just about to come and find you." In the doorway stood Spike blocking her path.

"I don't have time right now." Buffy tried to push past him.

"You might want to make time, when I tell you that your little love bird's just taken off on that bike of hers." The vampire pointed out.

"What way did she go?" Buffy cursed looking down the dark streets.

"Towards the high school." Spike pointed down the road.

"Keep watch, I have to go get her." Buffy ran back in grabbing the staff before she headed out towards the jeep.

"Want me to drive?" Spike offered.

"Please Spike guard the house." Buffy looked at him.

"That was just an offer to help." Spike pointed out.

"I know it was and what I really need is you helping me by guarding the house. The attack last night didn't work, I'm sure it's going to try again but I have to go get Piper. So I'm counting on you." She looked at her seriously.

"I won't let you down." Spike nodded.

"Thank you." She moved towards the jeep jumping in and taking off rather erratically down the road.

-x-

"COME ON, COME ON YOU BASTARD!" Piper paced in a small circle around the dormant Hellmouth seal. "There's no barrier, no magic to keep you out, no back up to save me." She called out into the darkness. "Come and get yourself a taste of slayer blood."

"Feeling a tad suicidal?" Buffy appeared suddenly in the far corner of the room.

"No, perhaps I am just tired of waiting." Piper shook her head and looked over at the ghost. "You're not as beautiful as her, you can't even get that right."

"Ouch." The First put a hand up to her heart. "That hurt Piper, really that was coarse."

"Well you base your images, your copies on the past." Piper continued. "Which is why they are second rate?"

"Is this more your taste?" The First shifted into the dark Slayer's form. "I can't wait to get a 'Piper' to try on."

"Won't I be a bit of a come down from both of the last two on show?" Piper retorted.

"Oh no Piper!" The First shook her head. "You're very different from Buffy and Faith but you are by far just as equal. I'm so glad they activated you, it's going to make beating you all that much sweeter."

"You knew they were going to didn't you? Did you know I would be next, is that why you killed Shanti, even though we had sworn against the lives the Council had offered?" She tried to get answers, even knowing that the First would probably lie to her.

"Actually Piper, I killed Shanti because she was far too dangerous to me." The First leaned against the wall.

"There is no way of knowing she would have got involved. She didn't have to die."  
Piper's voice stiffened.

"You all have to die." The First explained.

"Why?" Piper put the question simply.

"Why not?" The First shrugged.

"Oh come on you can do better than that, never answer a question with a question, didn't your Big Poppa Evil teach you anything." Owl bated.

"The slayers have gotten too powerful, this alliance you've found with your little witches, and with other fonts of power, it had to be stopped." It explained.

"But you know that no matter how hard we work, how powerful out witches get, there will always be evil in the world." Piper shook her head. "We'll never completely win, so what makes you think you will?"

"Because dear Piper, you're all just little girls." The First laughed.

"And you're what, a big splodgy mess of nothingness right now." Piper laughed back. "You're pathetic, the First evil, the ultimate bad guy, reduced to what spiteful smoke?" She snorted.

"I don't need form to kill you all." Faith's face grew darker as the First seethed.

"No, you need puppets." Piper scoffed. "Little toys that you control, like some big kid in its playroom."

"And you need your witches, bubble, bubble toil and trouble." It scoffed back. "If your line was so great you could kill me without the hocus pocus."

"You know I'd have more respect for you if you got your hands dirty once in a while, Hell I'd have more respect for you if you even had hands." Piper turned away and shook her head, her back to the entity. "You mock our power, when you, the ultimate eeeevil has to use blind dumb and butt ugly monkeys to hack your enemies for you. You couldn't even get good looking attractive guys could you? No, and you know why, because that would require imagination. That would require you looking out of your tiny little window and taking a look around you. Because if you did that, you'd understand that you, you're not evil, you're just a power point, you're just a pathetic battery for it. Things like Ubers, Bringers, they don't inspire fear, not true fear, life inspires that facing each and every day, when you don't think you can crawl up off your knees. That's fear, that takes effort, facing your minions, that's just tedious."

"You're going to die Piper, on your knees, blood streaming down in your eyes as you spit out teeth and dirt." The First looked at her, her voice deep and dark. "Whether you are afraid or not doesn't concern me, just that you will die."

"You know what bring it on." Piper's eyes narrowed as she turned back. "But don't bank on the me dying bit, because you are so not worth dying for."

"You have to wait." The First laughed at her lightly. "Say hi to Buffy." She waved and disappeared as the door swung open.

"Piper!" Buffy came in with the staff looking around.

"Buffy what... why are you here?" Piper's concentration fractured.

"Because you shouldn't be here." Buffy eased a bit when she saw nothing around.

"I just needed to face something." The other Slayer frowned. "You really shouldn't have followed." She added. "Something may have happened to you."

"I followed you because I was worried about you." Buffy looked at her. "And because you forgot this." She held up the necklace.

"My Labrys." Piper focused on it instantly as it swung lightly back and forth.

"I found it, I told you we would." Buffy gave her a soft smile. "Now can we go home, this place makes my good hair day go bad?"

"I'm not sure I want to go back there if Giles is still around." Piper shook her head. "But you should go back, thank you for finding this." She stepped up and held her hand under the pendant.

"Piper, what are you trying to do by being here?" Buffy let her take it.

"I'm not sure." Piper was honest.

"I know what you're feeling." She tried to be honest. "And I wish I could say it's going to go away but it never does. Being what we are, it doesn't ever make you feel good enough."

"There's one thing I feel good enough at." Piper's voice dropped and softened.

"What?" Buffy questioned gently.

"Spotting beautiful women and telling them how amazing they are." Piper reached out and drew a fingertip over Buffy's collarbone that was just visible.

"Should I be jealous that you're out scouting for other beautiful women?" Buffy smiled under the attention.

"No, you see because when I find one, I kinda focus." Piper smirked. "And just pay attention to that one." She continued the light movement.

"You know if being smooth is going to help us win this, I almost pity the First since you're on our side." Buffy blushed lightly.

"Oh I pity it anyway." Piper pointed out. "Though I understand a little more now, the whole big evil thing."

"Do you?" Buffy questioned.

"Yeah I mean how pissed would I be if I got to see all this beauty and couldn't do this." Piper pulled Buffy close and kissed her deeply, releasing her the next second. "Whenever I wanted to. I mean, big angry ball of bad mood I'd be."

"I'd be really grumpy." Buffy smiled. "But I'm not sure making out on the Hellmouth is a good idea, can we go home say to bed?"

"Oh I don't know, a little positive action on the Hellmouth, who knows what effect it would have." Piper laughed looking down at the badly covered seal.

"You're naughty." Buffy smiled at her.

"You're sexy." Piper countered.

"We have to be quick." Buffy moved closer to her and kissed her again.

"If I was a boy, I'd say quick no problem baby, as I'm a girl, I can't promise anything under ten minutes." Owl pulled Buffy tight to her body.

The two Slayers began kissing and exploring one another as unseen by them both, the First materialised as Spike in the shadows of the basement, accompanied by two Ubers. The eager vampires were ready to pounce forward at the vulnerable pair, when the peroxide copy held up a hand then with a flick of its wrist the two beasts disappeared.

"Now this is something I want to watch alone." The First lit up an imaginary cigarette.

-x-

Dawn looked up from her magazine to where Faith was punching at the heavy bag she'd slung from the basement rafters. As always having the Slayer work out so close by made concentrating on anything else hard. The hard way that Faith was digging her hands into each of the punches made Dawn think back to her conversation with Tara.

"Faith..." She sat up and put the magazine aside. "Truth or dare." She tried to find some way to start this that wouldn't send Faith running.

"Truth." Faith gave a swing at the bag hardly breaking her attention.

"Why did you turn me down that first time when I asked?" Dawn asked the question softly.

"When you asked what?" Faith frowned slightly ducking the back swing.

"When I came down here..." Dawn pushed up and moved over to hold the bag steady. "And threw myself at you."

"Because it wouldn't have been right to say yes." Faith replied hitting the bag.

"Why wouldn't it have been?" Dawn asked softly.

"Because you were vulnerable and you weren't' thinking right." Faith reached out and stopped the swing of the bag so it wouldn't hurt Dawn.

"Has that ever stopped you before?" Dawn held the bag tighter to stop it from going out of control again.

"No, but that's not the point." The dark Slayer began pulling tape off her hands.

"No, it is the point." Dawn stepped back watching her.

"What is D?" Faith asked as she threw the used wrappings towards the bin.

"You didn't want to use me." She nodded confirming it to herself almost.

"Of course I didn't you're important to me D, I didn't want to hurt you." Faith shrugged.

"I don't want to hurt you either." Dawn moved closer to her. "I'm sorry I did that too you." She whispered. "I didn't mean to push you."

"It's okay D." Faith shook her head. "I've done my fair share of 'stuff' to try and get the attention I wanted over the years." The dark haired Slayer smiled.

"What was the most outrageous thing you've ever done?" Dawn shadowed her.

"Haven't I had my truth question?" Faith stopped and turned looking at tall young woman.

"Okay your turn then." The brunette relented momentarily.

"Dawn, are you trying to win some freaky epic truth or dare competition or something?" She challenged.

"No, I just want to talk to you." The brunette admitted.

"Then say, Faith can I talk to you." She towelled off her arms.

"Faith, can I talk to you?" Dawn repeated softly.

"Yeah what's on your mind D?"

"You, me." Dawn admitted softly.

"Oh right. Do you want to sit?" Faith coughed.

"Sitting is great." Dawn nodded moving over to the bed and Faith followed. "I know this is hard for you." She started softly.

"You think?" Faith raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't it?" Dawn lost her confidence for a second.

"That depends on what you mean by 'it'." Faith tucked her hair behind her ear.

"It, thinking about being with me." Dawn watched her.

"Being with you, being with you isn't hard." Faith replied frowning softly as she shook her head.

"It's not hard to be with you either. Being with you is the easiest thing." Dawn nodded her immediate agreement.

"D, can I just check what you mean by being with me?" The dark Slayer questioned before things got too out of control.

"Spending time with you, touching you..." Dawn reached her hand out and rested in on Faith's leg. "Kissing you."

"Okay, so this is the it." Faith nodded. "You want this talk."

"Yeah this talk." Dawn reached up tucking her hair away as well. "I want you to know, that I still want you but I know I can't have everything in the first night."

"By everything you mean sex?" Faith asked arching an eyebrow.

"Not just sex." Dawn shook her head. "But part of it is sex."

"Okay D now listen and listen good cause I ain't never gonna say this again." Faith cleared her throat a little. Dawn blinked brown eyes at her waiting. "I already love you okay. But I ain't like your sister, I don't have all this there are thousands of different types of love shit. For me there is 'I love you family' kind of thing, and 'I love you and want you in my bed' kind of thing. Now I was happy with you in the family bracket, but you've liked jumped ship." She stopped herself as she realised she was making less and less sense. "What I'm saying is I don't know what else you mean by 'other' stuff?"

"You mean other than sex?" Dawn whispered.

"Yeah." Faith nodded. "Other than the hot and heavy."

"Like talking, eating dinner together, watching movies, training, me sleeping on the twins." She blushed lightly.

"You wanna do that shit with me?" Faith questioned.

"Yes." The brunette nodded.

"When we win I'll take you to the movies if you like." Faith offered.

"That would be nice." Dawn smiled at her reaching down to link her fingers into Faith's. The Slayer looked down at their hands for a long moment.

"Wait a minute." Faith asked looking up. "Answer me something." She kept brown eyes.

"Anything." Dawn waited for her to ask and Faith's face grew serious. The look made Dawn swallow hard.

"Wanna be my girlfriend?" She asked her face changing into a slow smirk.

"Yes." Dawn's face lit up.

"You're gonna have to stop flirting with Andrew you know that right?" Faith winked.

"Okay wait, are you always going to be that controlling?" Dawn laughed and jumped on her giggling as they fell back on the bed.

"No, I'll let out the leash on weekends." Faith caught her and held her close.

"I want to kiss you again." Dawn leaned closer to her.

"D, I think being my girlfriend means you don't have to ask." Faith laughed feeling a little caught up in the moment. She felt for the first time in years like she wasn't 'The Slayer' or 'Faith who went wrong', she was just Faith.

"I just get to kiss you whenever I want?" Dawn licked her lips.

"Well when I'm twirling a sword I wouldn't suggest it." Faith pointed out.

"No fair, you're so sexy when you do that." The brunette leaned in and kissed her finally.

-x-

Buffy pulled the jeep into the driveway and looked around. She carefully checked that all the windows and doors were intact and the lack of screeching alarms seemed to suggest that there hadn't been an attack in their absence.

"It's quiet." She glanced at Piper in the seat beside her.

"It's early." Piper pointed out.

"Very." Buffy glanced at the radio clock and turned off the jeep.

"You okay?" Piper checked.

"I'm thinking wow we're crazy for having very hot sex on the Hellmouth." The blonde Slayer laughed lightly and shook her head. "But for some reason I feel more like turning on the sprinkler and running through it."

"Its called living Baby." Piper winked. "Feels good eh? And come on you did the Hellmouth a favour, I mean since when has 'oh God oh God more' been screamed there in pleasure?"

"Stop it." Buffy blushed and whacked her lightly on the arm.

"Why, come on sexy girl, admit it. It felt good making love there, pushing aside the shit it represents?" Piper continued.

"Making love with you anywhere feels good." Buffy smiled and leaned across kissing her quickly.

"We could do it in the jeep, again." Piper winked catching hold of her arm.

"Again eh?" Buffy flipped over landing to straddle over her body.

"Well the time in the parking lot wasn't really a proper time." Piper grinned. "That was just kinda a finish off." She pressed her hands up Buffy's thighs.

"You were wrong earlier. You're already an amazing Slayer." Buffy reached up pressing her hands through Piper's hair.

"You mean lover." Piper corrected.

"That too." Buffy nodded. "But I mean Slayer." She rubbed her hands through again.

"Don't let me let you guys down." Piper requested softly.

"Baby, you're not going to let us down." Buffy held her so they were eye to eye.

"You are the reason we are going to beat this thing."

"So you gonna help me choose which Hellmouth I guard after its done?" Piper linked softly.

Buffy stopped pulling her hands back slowly. The words hit her firmly in the stomach and took the air out of her lungs.

"You're going to leave?" She pulled back further.

"Giles said that Faith and I would be more useful elsewhere." Piper frowned.

"Now I understand." Buffy pushed down on the door handle and moved outside.

"Understand what?" Piper looked slightly baffled and scrambled after her.

"We should go to bed, we have lots to do tomorrow." Buffy walked around and pulled the staff out of the other side of the jeep.

"But I thought we were..." Owl pointed to the jeep.

"I'm not sure if that's on Giles' schedule." Buffy slammed the door and moved towards the house.

"Woo wait a minute." Piper reached out and grabbed the staff effectively stopping Buffy. "He said you'd asked him to talk to me."

"I asked him to talk to you about how ever single slayer has doubts and a period of adjustment, not to have him tell you to pack up and go to a new Hellmouth the minute we win this." Buffy hung onto the staff.

"And how every Slayer needs to prove herself and how she can only do that while standing on her own?" Piper recounted the spiel.

"He dragged out that stupid speech?" Buffy let go and her emotion went even angrier. "Piper, I've heard that speech from the minute I met him. Does it look like I ever listened to it? Willow and Xander, do they look like part of the prophecy?"

"Wait up, do I look like I took to this speech well? Hello, sped of to Hellmouth to take it out with the First." Piper pointed out turning angry.

"No, but you're saying you want to go to your own Hellmouth." Buffy looked at her.

"No, I want to buy a fucking little house, a dog with big ears and spend most nights making love to you." Piper growled. "But I'm a fucking slayer now. And apparently what I want means shit."

"You want to stay with me?" Buffy's anger was sidetracked.

"This is news?" Piper frowned.

"You've never said that before." Buffy nodded feeling everything shift around her, as she went from feeling angry to confused.

"Well as it obviously fucks you up, forget I said it." Owl pushed the staff back into Buffy's hands and began walking up the street.

"Don't you dare!" Buffy moved around her quickly and pushed her to a stop. "Don't you dare say something like that and then walk away from me. Don't you dare make me feel things for you and then walk away like I mean nothing, like I'm going to feel nothing."

"Mean nothing?" Piper stopped. "I've just more or less said I want to buy a house and spend the rest of my life with you, and you think I think you're nothing?"

"I don't feel nothing, I feel..." Buffy started harshly but her words went softer.

"I feel afraid that it's not going to happen, that you're going to change your mind."

"When I came here Buffy, I was angry, alone and destroyed, I wasn't even a person let alone a slayer." Piper stood still and looked at Buffy. "The First had taken everything, my past, my future, everything I was and am. Or at least that's what I thought. Until I met you."

"I don't want you to go." Buffy managed to push out the words.

"Then why ask Giles to talk to me about leaving?" Piper had to ask.

"I never told Giles to talk to you about leaving." Buffy put her hands up. "I asked him to talk to you to make you feel better about adjusting to becoming the slayer. I never asked him to tell you to leave. Why would I do that? So I can have someone else I love leave me? Be left alone again?"

"Why are we having this conversation?" Piper asked in a small voice as she moved up to Buffy and reached to stroke down her cheek with the back of her hand.

"Because I just remembered when you feel alive you are vulnerable to that being taken away." Buffy lip quivered. "You said you were leaving."

"Hey we both might." Piper smiled softly tracing the quivering with her fingertip.

"Might what?" Buffy brow furrowed.

"Leave, its a big world out there, I might wanna see it with you." She tapped her nose lightly.

"I used to feel dead Piper, not just alone, but completely dead." Buffy stepped closer. "I don't want to feel that way again."

"Come here." Piper opened her arms. Buffy moved closer into the embrace holding the staff in one hand loosely. "God this is cheesy but I want to do it." Piper took a step back from the blonde Slayer and pulled off her biker jacket. Buffy watched her not quite understanding. Moving back she wrapped it around Buffy's shoulders and pressed her lips to the slightly smaller woman's forehead.

"It's yours." She whispered.

"This is your jacket Piper, I couldn't." Buffy looked up at her taller lover.

"It's so you don't forget." Piper shook her head and held it on the other Slayer's shoulders

"Forget?" Buffy reached up holding it from the inside.

"That I love you, and want to be with you." She underlined.

"I love you too." The blonde smiled at her softly. "You know I should have known you were going to be the next one called." She leaned up looping her arms around.

"Why's that?" Piper slipped her arms around Buffy's waist.

"Because you've got a slayer's flare temper and a slayer's stubbornness." Buffy laughed lightly.

"And I was hoping for a great looks and vibrant personality praise." Piper smirked.

"You have the ego too." Buffy kissed her lightly. "Come on, let's go up to bed. It's going to be daylight soon."

"And you need to sleep I remember." Owl pulled back and let her go.

"I didn't say anything about sleep, did I?" Buffy grabbed her hand, pulling Piper along.

"Well you know you are the oldest slayer." Piper teased as she hurried.

"Watch it, I can still kick your ass." Buffy laughed at her.

"Only because I let you." Piper winked hard.

"You so wish." Buffy scoffed.

"I'm so damn lucky to have you." Piper pushed forward faster and lifted Buffy off her feet into her arms hurrying into the house.

-x-

"Buffy, Buffy honey." A soft sweet voice called to the sleeping Slayer.

"Mmmmm sleepy." Buffy turned and groaned.

"I know honey, I just need to speak with you for a minute." The voice called again.

Buffy slowly blinked open hazel eyes and felt her vision adjust into focus.

"Mmmmm wh... whh... what?" She sat bolt up right when she looked directly at the slightly glowing image of her mother. "How... did the shield fail... God are Will and Tara ok?"

"I'm not the First honey." Joyce shook her head softly.

"But you're… you're dead." Just saying it made Buffy's heart ache.

"I am." The older woman frowned. "Buffy that wasn't your fault, there was nothing anyone could have done."

"But I could have been quicker, I could have..." Buffy felt her eyes fill just at the thought and the image that forced itself into her brain.

"It wouldn't have made a difference." Joyce shook her head again. "Buffy, listen to me that's not why I'm here. Remember I came to you before."

"Yes, I remember." She gave a small nod.

"You're ready now." Joyce admitted with a soft smile.

"I am?" Buffy couldn't believe the childlike tone of her voice.

"You have everyone you need with you." Her mother nodded.

"But that doesn't mean I'm ready." Buffy shook her head.

"It doesn't." Joyce agreed with her. "But look inside yourself Buffy, you know the reason to fight again. You know why you struggle."

"Piper?" Buffy whispered her lover's name.

"Part of the reason yes, she's part of your heart." Joyce didn't look away from her daughter. "But it's bigger than that Buffy, look harder."

"Me?" Buffy's voice was even smaller.

"You." Her mother smiled. "One of the very best reasons I know for keeping up this fight."

"I… I wish you were here." Buffy admitted blinking.

"I wish I was too Buffy, I didn't want to go." She frowned slightly. "I didn't want to leave my girls, ever."

"I'm sorry I messed up with Dawn, I'm trying better now Mommy." Buffy felt her lip tremble.

"You haven't messed up." Joyce assured her. "Oh Buffy, trust in yourself more. Please."

"I'm trying Mom." Buffy whispered.

"Remember Buffy I love you, always." Joyce reached up blowing her a kiss.

"I love you too Mom, I wish you could have met Piper." She added reaching out to 'catch' the kiss.

"Buffy?" Piper's sleepy voice questioned as she pushed up a bit.

"Sorry." Buffy apologised softly.

"Are you okay? You were talking in your sleep." Piper blinked at her reaching up to cup her cheek.

"I... I had a vision" Buffy wanted to be honest.

"A vision?" Piper tried not to make her question sound quite so crazy.

"A visitor." Buffy changed her statement.

"Did the shield fail?" Piper sat up more panicked reaching for the stake on the side table.

"It was Mom." Buffy shook her head.

"Your Mom?" Piper lay back down. "Does she come around a lot?"

"She appeared to me before, when all this craziness started." Buffy admitted.

Piper pulled the covers up around them, resting her hand on Buffy's hip.

"What did she say?" She questioned without any hesitation.

"This time or that time." Buffy smiled softly and put her hand over the other Slayer's.

"Both." Piper encouraged her.

"Before she said I wasn't ready." Buffy admitted softly. "But now, now she says I am."

"Did you ask what she meant?" Piper didn't want to sound thick by asking, but she wasn't quite getting the big picture.

"I... not exactly." Buffy frowned. "She said I had everyone around me I needed and that I had myself again."

"Well I'd call that a good omen, right?" Piper squeezed Buffy's hips.

"Yes." Buffy moved closer to her lover. "I miss her." She admitted closing her eyes.

"I bet, was she like totally cool?" Piper urged her to lie down

"Mmmmm she was." Buffy snuggled in.

"Tell me." Piper encouraged.

"She spent years cleaning blood out of my clothes and bought ever one of my lame excuses." Buffy chuckled lightly.

"So what would she say about me?" Piper stroked her fingers up and down over Buffy's naked shoulder.

"She said you were part of my heart." Buffy moved her head to look up at her lover.

"Oh can I take that as approval, I want to take it as approval." Piper smiled tenderly.

"I think it was." Buffy smiled back.

"Okay you, back to sleep." Piper encouraged.

"Mmmmm tired." Buffy put her head back down.

"I'm not surprised." Piper kissed her head.

"I swear you're ego is getting bigger." The blonde chuckled as she yawned.

"Hey I actually wasn't talking about the five times we've managed since getting in." She grinned broadly.

"You counted?" Buffy looked up again.

"Actually no." Piper laughed gently. "I lost the ability to count after the second."

"You're so cute." Buffy laughed and turned snuggling her backside into the other Slayer. "Now come on sleep, everyone's going to wake us up in about an hour."

"Okay, okay." Piper folded herself around the other woman and kissed the back of her head.

-x-

Faith groaned and rolled a little over onto her back, in a deep comfortable sleep, that found her warm, safe and not alone, a perfect place for her to be. At the same time Dawn rolled onto her side so her body was flush up against Faith's. Searching for the blanket her hand slid down the dark Slayer's body. Almost as if sensing the need of the younger woman in her sleep Faith used her foot to bring the blanket in reaching distance and pulled it over them

Dawn let out a slight content moan as she buried her face lower, pressing into the side of Faith's right breast as her hand lay across her hip forgetting about the blanket.

Faith groaned a little louder, her core temperature raising a notch as the other woman's nose pressed just under the side edge of her dark tank top so that Dawn's warm breath breathed out over Faith's soft skin. Dawn's breathing stayed constant as she flung her leg over Faith's, her hand sliding up onto the Slayer's bare stomach.

It was then as the fluttering across Faith's stomach moved lower and became a recognisable throb between her legs, which the Slayer began to climb towards consciousness. Her climb was probably made faster as Dawn's leg pressed up higher, the brunette's long body making it easy for her to curl up in such a way. Her hand pressed up as went to brush a hair off her face leaving her hand to cup around Faith's breast.

"Mmmmm yes baby." The Slayer moaned before reality slotted puzzle pieces into place and dark eyes blinked rapidly open as her breast was squeezed in response to the mumble. Freezing in her place, Faith brought her breathing under control and stared up at the ceiling. She hoped that at any moment the other woman would move her hand and leg away.

"Mmmmm Faith." Dawn's thick voice showed she was in a deep sleep but the content of her dream was becoming more obvious as she pressed her face in closer, her own hips rocking against Faith's leg.

"Oh fuck girl don't make this easy will you." Faith whispered to herself and looked to the heavens. Putting her hand over where Dawn's cupped her breast she tried to lift it from her shirt.

A groan of protest came as Dawn slid her hand away from Faith's, slipping lower so that her fingers caught under the elastic of Faith's boxers.

"Oh no you don't missy." Faith's hand darted after Dawn's, this time holding the younger woman's tighter and pulling it up she didn't really mind if she woke Dawn up. It was better than her having to try and explain later when Dawn woke up to find her hand down there.

Another groaned protest came as Dawn's hand was pulled away from the warm area, in response she pressed her knee up harder into her groin.

"D, D, Hun." Faith decided to give up and just go for the direct approach.

"Mmmmm what?" Dawn looked up blinking sleepy eyes.

"You err..." Faith pushed. "You looked uncomfy, and I didn't want you to wake up all achy."

"I was having a dream." She gave a lopsided smile.

"Were you?" Faith tried to sound casual. "A nice one?"

"Very nice." Dawn leaned up. "We were kissing." She snuggled her face into Faith's neck.

"Kissing is good." Faith moved her hand to thread through Dawn's hair a little trying to push aside the distracting throb in her body.

"And other things." Dawn ran her hand up rubbing it over Faith's stomach.

"Other nice things?" Faith cleared her throat still focusing. She could hear her inner voice begin a chant she'd heard once on a TV show about monks and meditation.

"Mmmmm yes, you were touching me." Dawn tilted her head kissing Faith's neck up closer to her ear.

"Touching is good to, I hope I was good at it in your dream." Faith swallowed and tipped her head back a little without thinking.

"Very good." Dawn slipped her body over a bit so she was straddling Faith's leg, her body still warm and aroused from the dream as she kissed up to Faith's earlobe.

"D..." Faith swallowed again as the over powering warmth, smell and softness of the other woman made her body shiver.

"It was such a good dream." Dawn rolled her hips down pressing against Faith's leg harder.

"Dawn, Hun, listen to me." Faith moved both hands onto Dawn's thigh clearing her throat again as the throb turned into an almost unbearable ache.

"What?" Dawn looked at her trying to wake up fully to listen.

"It's really, really hard to not touch you, when you're doing that." Faith tried to word her predicament carefully, though the desperation was evident in her voice.

"Maybe I want you to touch me?" Dawn pressed her hips down, her lips opening a little as the pressure made her groan.

"Do you?" Faith forced herself to swallow her eyes unable to move from Dawn's lips.

"Well normally if I have a nice dream like that and wake up I…." Dawn whispered and blushed a little. "Touch myself.

"Knowing yourself is good D." Faith nodded with a smile trying to banish images of the young woman in her bed enjoying such moments.

"Do you want me to get off of you?" Dawn checked pressing down a bit harder.

"No, if I'm honest I want you to ride my thigh till you explode." Faith breathed out. "But you know, I'm trying to think couply here and not just with my…" She didn't finish.

"I think it's couply." Dawn smiled as she pushed down more.

"This isn't going too fast for you?" Faith checked running a little safety check through her head. They could stay clothed, well at least in what they already had on. There didn't have to be any direct stimulation, Dawn was close enough to not need that, she could tell that easily. 'Its innocent fabric fucking, almost everyone does that by the time they're seventeen.' She reminded herself.

"This is more me touching you, so it can't be to fast, as I'm the one doing the touching." The brunette groaned as she braced up her arms so she could angle down. "Don't you think?"

"Yeah." Faith reasoned nodded. "Here." She shifted them both higher up the bed "Put your hands on the wall." She guided. "It'll help."

"But..." Dawn whimpered as Faith braced her leg up more and she reached up her hands to the smooth wallpaper. "What about you?"

"This is good for me D, think where your knee is." She subtly pointed out as the mentioned body part bumped rhythmically against the throb between her legs.

"My knee? Oh my knee." Dawn grinned as she realized where her knee was.

"Mmmmm were you having a good dream too?" She rocked harder looking down at the dark Slayer.

"No, actually I was having a really nice reality." Faith smiled back.

Dawn leaned down and kissed her. Faith kissed her back trying to tone down the force and desire she wanted to put into the return. She wanted this to be about Dawn and not her overwhelming libido.

"You don't have to hold back." Dawn groaned as she reached down taking Faith's hand and putting it on her hip.

"Maybe I wanna hold back a bit, to make the night we... you know all the way, really special." Faith slid her other hand onto Dawn's other hip and helped the younger woman move. Internally she laughed at her chaste language.

"Are you sure?" Dawn whimpered as the feeling of Faith's hands on her skin.

"How do you feel?" Faith softly changed the subject and let her voice go deeper.

"Mmmmm God Faith." The brunette panted.

"That's it D, enough talking, just feel." Faith's voice urged her growing huskier as she pressed the young woman back and forth over her thigh, taking her just a little higher as she braced her leg at a slightly higher angle.

"Oh Faith." Dawn whimpered over and over as her hips began to move with less rhythm and finally she tipped her head back releasing a high pitched moan as her orgasm washed over her.

"There you go." Faith slipped one hand from off Dawn's hip up her spine to give her something strong to support the hard arch of her back as she rode out the climax.

"Oh God Faith." Dawn finally moved forward, her hand sliding off the wall as she collapsed on the Slayer's body as she gasped for air.

"That's it, easy, easy," Faith soothed using her strength and agility to move them both so that Dawn was on her back on the bed, propped up a little on the pillows. The dark Slayer was off to the side making sure the brunette had the freedom to move, as she needed. "Breathe." She moved her fingers to press back wet dark brown hair.

"Wow... its never felt..." She breathed out. "That good."

"Believe me D, you have just touched the tip of one hell of an mountain of pleasure." Faith winked.

"Are you okay? Do you… I mean you didn't." Dawn slowly moved lazily onto her side looking at the dark Slayer.

"Just focus on you for a bit there D." Faith smiled and put her hand on Dawn's thigh.

"Are you sure?" Dawn leaned back closing her eyes a little.

"Nothing should spoil how you feel right now or rush it or make it fuzzy, just wallow." Faith encouraged. "Here let me get you a clean pair of shorts that you can change into when you're ready." She leaned forward and pressed her lips onto Dawn's cheek.

"Mmmmm no, just stay." Dawn hugged her quickly.

"Or alternatively I could just stay." Faith couldn't help but smile at the strength Dawn put into the hug.

"Much better." Dawn snuggled closer.

"Feel okay?" Faith checked as she pressed her lips to Dawn's head.

"I feel amazing, all tingly." Dawn giggled.

"Damn no stars?" Faith smirked. "I was aiming for stars"

"Did I say I could actually see?" Dawn snuggled closer to her.

"Don't take this the wrong way D, but…" Faith paused. "You're cute."

"So are you." Dawn whispered.

"Go to sleep before I tickle you in punishment for damaging this Slayer's reputation." Faith chuckled.

"Mmmmm could be fun." Dawn opened her eyes.

"Sleep." Faith growled in a low voice but a grin was firmly plastered on her face and she closed her own eyes.

-x-

Faith knocked on the bedroom door, looking at the blonde witch who was surrounded by books and crumbled bits of paper.

"Hey, you busy?" She asked stupidly.

"You could say that." Tara looked up and tucked long hair behind her ear.

"Okay, I won't bug you then." Faith nodded and turned on her heel to leave.

"Faith no, it's fine, come in. Human companionship would be nice for a white, to clear my brain of ancient languages and spells." Tara beckoned her in.

"You're sure, I don't want to get in the way. I know how important all this spell shit is." Faith came in reluctantly sticking to the far areas of the room.

"They are important but so is every individual here and that includes you, friend." She added reaching forward to pat the bed. "Come sit down, what's wrong?"

"Dawn said she talked to you." Faith didn't sit but came closer to lean one knee on the bed.

"She did." Tara nodded and closed the book she was reading and cleared away her papers into a pile. "Is it your turn to spill the details?" She asked softly.

"Details? There aren't any details." Faith shook her head taking the comment the wrong way. "I haven't really touched her." She backed up.

"Faith, calm down." Tara frowned softly. "I didn't mean anything by that." She underlined. "I meant how are you, how do you feel about what Dawn spoke to me about?"

"Sorry, I keep waiting for someone to kick my ass." Faith sat down. "I mean I am so trying to behave here."

"I promise not to kick your ass." Tara smiled gently.

"What the Hell is she thinking?" The dark Slayer turned to her suddenly asking the almost harsh question. "I mean hello, worse choice on earth here."

"I don't think love is about best or worse choices Faith." Tara offered softly. "You are strong, beautiful, exciting and bold, it think that would make you an attractive option for just about anyone."

"She can't love me." Faith stood up shaking her head. "That is just insane, I mean she's got her whole fucking life ahead of her."

"So have you." Tara countered.

"Tara, you can't possibly be telling me that you're okay with her choice? Come on I want the truth." Faith stared at her.

"Faith…" Tara paused. "The person who will always judge you the hardest, is you, it's one thing prison will do for you, it will either make it so that you just don't give a damn, or it will make you think about what you did do. Now what you did, you did to and around the people that you cared the most about, so not only will you see what you actually did as a mark against you, you will perceive everything thing, everyway each action affected everyone of them as another black mark against yourself. But Faith…." Blue eyes looked up wanting to make very sure that Faith was more than listening to her.

"But?" Faith jumped almost immediately.

"Dawn hasn't fallen in love with a list of errors, nor a list of good things, she's fallen in love with you. Now I know she's young and I know that right now things might be crazy and judgements not what they should be, but what she's feeling right now, to her, feels real, and I cannot tell her that that's wrong or that she should choose someone else. She trusts you Faith, not completely, but she wants to. She wants to know you've changed into the person she always thought you were inside." The blonde witch continued. "What matters the most is that you are honest, not to me necessarily, but to yourself and to Dawn. If you're not in love with her, be honest about it, but if you are, be honest too." She said softly. "She might only be seventeen, but right now she knows what she wants, and she wants you. What's the worse that can happen? We beat the First, in a months or so she changes her mind about how she feels, but even then she's spent that time with you in a caring thoughtful relationship, I'm not seeing negatives here."

"No worse thing is in a few months she turns around and realises that everything was crazy and she's lost her virginity to me and you can't get that back." Faith turned looking out the window. "I know she knows what she wants, Hell she's probably got more sense than I do and I do have feelings for her..." She swallowed. "Mostly I don't want to hurt her."

"Put yourself in her position Faith." Tara nodded understanding Faith's point. "When all this goes down, there's a chance that we won't win, a chance we won't survive. Now, would you rather lose your virginity to someone who you love deeply and care about and then die or die not having experience what it is to share that most precious thing with anyone, even though you felt like you wanted to?"

"She's not going to die in this, I don't care what else happens she's not dying." Faith shook her head missing somewhat the end point as the idea of the brunette being killed or even hurt made her so angry.

"That's something you can believe with your whole heart Faith, but it doesn't make it a reality." Tara said softly. "The fact that you don't want anything bad to happen to her says so much." The blonde stopped. "She tells me you've kissed."

"Yeah, we had some fun last night but I made sure it was all about her." Faith remembered the night before with a smile.

"You want to define fun for me?" Tara frowned softly.

"I had to wake her up cause she was having this hot dream and pawing me in her sleep. Well you know what it's like when you wake up all hot and bothered, I just let her have a thigh on loan to work it out and get back to sleep." Faith shrugged.

"So you made love." Tara reworded the answer.

Faith looked at Tara almost as shocked as Zoë had when the blonde witch had slapped her.

"Tara I told you I didn't touch her, all seals intact." Faith made a motion with her hands to ward off any attack the blonde was going to make at her.

"You don't have to touch someone to make love to them Faith." Tara shook her head. "You brought her to release, you wanted her to feel good and you wanted to be the cause. You made love." She underlined again.

Faith stood there obviously stunned as she went down the checklist that Tara had provided and found every one of them was true.

"But I didn't... I mean I wasn't thinking like that I was... Oh fuck me." She cursed putting her hand up to tuck her hair behind her ears.

"Faith, if taking Dawn's virginity is the thing scarring you here, then quite simply, don't." Tara put forward. "I just know you know a hundred ways of pleasuring someone that don't include penetration."

"Okay I have one question, how the Hell are you having this conversation so calmly?" Faith looked at her amazed. "I mean hello we're talking Dawn here, little Dawnie? The girl who still comes to you for hot chocolate and a head rub."

"Because." Tara paused. "Because I love her and I want for her what makes her happy, you make her happy, obviously." She smirked slightly but then looked at Faith with bright intense blue eyes. "And because I trust you, and if you purposely hurt her, you'll find out just what a powerful witch I am."

"That was a threat right?" Faith moved over and sat down again. "Now I feel better. More my territory." She smiled and gave a sigh of relief. "I don't want to hurt her. She's so mixed up, she feels stuck between being a kid who everyone looks down on and being an adult which I mean I wish I could tell her stay a kid it's easier. But she's not, she is so not." She shook her head.

"Faith, have you ever been in love?" Tara asked softly.

"No." The dark Slayer shook her head.

"Then why not let yourself fall?" Tara questioned smiling gently.

"Oh my, I swear when we beat the First the thing I'm going to enjoy most is hot water whenever I want it." Willow came in rubbing at her wet hair interrupting without realising. "Oh Faith." She looked between the two of them.

"Faith was just asking how the search was going." Tara explained. "Come here let me do that." She held out her hand for the towel.

"Yeah just wanted to check in." Faith stood up as Willow came over relinquishing the towel as she moved onto the bed back on so Tara could help.

"You could tell Tara she needs a break, she's not listening to me." Willow teased her fiancée.

"Tara you need a break." Faith leaned in and took the book she had seen the blonde working on as she entered, before turning and hurrying out pulling the door closed behind her.

"What was that all about? She was acting funny." Willow leaned back a little against Tara.

"I think our proud Slayer is just a little bit wiggy like the rest of us." Tara replied with a soft smile.

"You didn't come in the shower with me, I thought you were going to join me." Willow looked up pouting.

"That was before we…" Tara blushed and looked down at the floor. "You know, on the rug..."

"Mmmmm but I still thought you were coming into the shower because I was going to wash your back." Willow smiled at the memory.

"But I thought you wanted to actually have a shower." Tara grinned as she empathised the word 'actually'.

"Yes, but I wanted you too." Willow snuggled closer.

"I thought you were worried we were too tired." Tara encircled her lover with her arms.

"If you're not in the mood baby you can just say." Willow leaned her head resting on Tara's arm.

"I'm in the mood." Tara leaned down and kissed the soft skin on Willow's neck.

"Mmmmm no, no if you're not it's mmmmm fine." Willow tipped her head further her actions not matching her words.

"Willow, I want you." Tara dropped her voice and more or less growled low into Willow's ear.

"Do you?" The redhead's voice was a breathy whisper as she shifted her hips, the growl making a new flood of desire pool between her legs.

"I do." Tara leaned back and drew Willow down with her so that the redhead was laying on her back on the blonde's stomach.

"How?" Willow felt the strange position and the way she could hear and feel but not see her lover.

"I don't know." Tara replied pressing them lightly over onto their sides so that she was spooned against Willow. She ran her hand over Willow's flat stomach as she licked Willow's neck again.

"Mmmmm you don't?" Willow gave a full body shiver in pleasure. It seemed that Tara already had some definite ideas of what she was going to do.

"Well this feels nice." Tara rocked her hips little into Willow's ass, and drew her kisses and licks back around to Willow's spine as she peeled the towel that the redhead had tucked around her body away.

"Very." Willow pressed her backside against the pressure, arching against the trace of her tongue.

"You taste of raspberries." The blonde whispered.

"The..." Willow groaned back. "Body wash."

"We need more of it." Tara nibbled across Willow's shoulder.

"We need lots more of it." She shivered and gave another moan.

"Goddess you are beautiful." Tara ran her hand down between their bodies cupping the soft round rises of Willow's ass. "Baby." She moved back up. "Lay on your tummy." She whispered huskily into her lover's ear. Willow gave a soft nod and then slid forward onto her stomach. "Perfect love." She moved to straddle across Willow's ass and smoothed her long hands up the redhead's spine.

"Mmmmm." Willow gave a soft moan as she pillowed her arms under her head.

"Feel nice?" Tara asked as she continued to caress.

"You know I love your massages." Willow nodded slightly.

"This isn't exactly a massage love." Tara admitted as she followed her hands with a soft trail of her tongue.

"Tarrraaa!" She groaned louder at this soft touch. Moving back so her own body was lower, Tara eased Willow's legs open ever so slightly and then pressed her hand between them. "Baby..." The redhead gasped at the unexpected touch.

Without hesitation, Tara curled her long fingers forward siding lightly through soft curls as pressed her flat palm to Willow's wetness. The response was another deep gasp as the redhead moved her legs open further.

Tara eased her palm in tighter to press the wet heated lips slightly open, and then keeping her arm in the unusual position she eased herself forward laying on top of her lover. With her arm down Willow's back and curving around her ass, her added weight pressed the redhead down harder on the bed.

"Mmmmm baby." The redhead groaned happily under the pressure.

Tara pressed her fingers rhythmically against the soft mound of Willow's pubic area while at the same time she pressed her hips against her lover's ass. Willow found herself pressing back against her lover's hand and body without evening thinking about it

"Mmmmm Willow, I love how you move." Tara kissed over Willow's shoulder.

"God baby you're driving me crazy." Willow groaned back trying to turn a bit to see the blonde but finding she couldn't.

"Good, how does it feel? I mean is it a good crazy." Tara checked softly.

"Amazing crazy." Willow nodded against the mattress.

"Anything my sexy redhead wants?" Tara kept her fingers flexing and her hips pressing knowing the indirect pressure and attention would be driving Willow more than crazy.

"Mmmmm." She whimpered in response. "I want you to do what you're doing, I love you all in charge." She made the soft admission.

"I'm not going to stop, not until I feel you flood over my palm." Tara stretched her body up and breathed the fact into Willow's ear.

"Uhhhhhh yessss." Willow pressed up more.

"Mmmmm, yes Willow." Tara rocked harder and rolled her palm in tighter still so that she could rub the flat base against swollen inner lips.

"Baby, I can't believe how you make me feel." Willow breathed out hotly as she felt her inner muscles contracting, seeking out something to capture anything but they found nothing.

"How do I make you feel?" Tara purred feeling her lover become more erratic in her movements and breathing.

"So wet baby, so turned on, I just want you to take me, anyway you want too."

Willow whimpered.

"Oh Willow." Tara groaned. "Do you have any idea how that turns me on?"

"No, how?" The redhead questioned, her hips pressing into the mattress harder.

"More than I could tell you." Tara admitted softly as she kissed and licked across Willow's upper back. "The words make my body ache, my temperature rise. My heart race."

"What do you want to do to me?" Willow whispered the question.

"I want to take you, I want to fill you and make you scream my name." Tara moved the position of her hand enough so that she could slip her thumb into her lover's body, finally giving eager muscles something to contract around.

"Ahhhmmmm yes baby." Willow nodded her agreement as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Are you sure, I mean I-I'm not normally this de-demanding." Tara heard her voice shake a little as she questioned for a moment just what she was doing.

"Please Tara, I love you." Willow groaned. "Demanding is good." She added pressing her hips down to work her body against Tara's hand more. "Demanding is great." She underlined rolling her hips.

Tara pressed her lips to Willow's cheek and moved her hand back, pulling her thumb away from the redhead's press. She curled her fingers back and then pressed two into her lover, the motion strong and direct. Willow gasped in at the added pleasure. She braced one hand against the headboard pressing down as her inner muscles were stretched.

"Sweet Willow." Tara moaned as she eased her fingers in higher, feeling the soft but tight walls stretching to accommodate her eagerly. Willow pulled one knee up a bit so she could leverage her body to press down against the pressure obviously wanting to draw her lover in further. "Are you sure?" Tara purred before pushing as the redhead's body suggested she should, angling her elbow down more to meet the thrust from Willow's hips as her fingers went upward.

Another series of whimpers and moans greeted her and urged Tara to pull her body down a bit more behind the redhead's, giving her an even better angle and the ability to control more how her lover moved.

"Pull your other leg up honey." Tara instructed knowing the prone way that Willow's right leg was under her wasn't helping the redhead find the pace her body needed. She lifted her own weight, allowing Willow to settle up on her knees though her legs were widely apart. "See that's so much better." She shifted her other hand around encircling the hacker's thin waist and slid her fingers down her lover's fluttering stomach. Most of Willow's body was still pressed into the mattress and pillows making it a tight manoeuvre as she eased up to cup her warm hand around Willow's small breast, capturing and rolling the hard nipple between her thumb and forefinger.

"Please Tara." Willow bit her lip as she felt a roll of anticipation go through her stomach, her hips keeping a fast pace as she rocked back onto Tara's hand. The new flare of pleasure that peaked out of her breast made her lash her hand up to grip onto the top of the headboard. She pulled herself up to a bent knelling position, using both hands to brace against the wooden top. She quickly discovered the change let her push back harder and she groaned loudly as her hips circled and rocked faster.

"Mmmm that's better." Tara growled feeling the new flood of arousal that rushed past her fingers as Willow repositioned. Letting her lover settle first, she then moved behind the redhead's smaller body to brace her hand and allow them to rock together in a complete motion.

"Better…is… lacking word." Willow whimpered as she felt the full length of her lover press in behind her. Though for a moment she wished Tara were naked as well, she soon realized there was something just so deeply erotic right now about the fact that her lover was clothed while she was rocking against her fully naked. Something that underlined to her body it was Tara making love to her, taking charge of the pleasure in an attempt to give Willow as much of it as she could.

"Willow brain is still working way to well." The blonde teased as she squeezed the nipple she was still teasing lightly and then moved her hand down. She didn't hesitate, she could feel how close her lover was to release and she knew that the build-up had been long enough and wonderful enough that she was going to get exactly what she had told Willow she wanted. "Have to fix that." She slid her fingers down easily able to curl up and flick directly over the redhead's centre as her open hips allowed instant free access.

"Oh Taraaa." Willow's grip on the headboard dipped a bit as the strength left her arms, but the blonde's arm around her waist help keep her in place. "Baby… oh…" She gasped out a few disjointed words.

"Sounds fixed already." Tara dipped her head kissing the redhead's shoulder and neck as she flicked her fingers faster against the growing rock of Willow's hips. As the motion began to get more erratic, she pressed her fingers in onto the hard bundle of nerves letting Willow's own movements drive the stimulation.

"Ta-ra, oh Ta-ra." Willow knew she wasn't in control of what her body was doing right now as her back arched and her hips jerked and moved.

"Sexy, sexy Willow." Tara gave a throaty groan as she wiggled her fingers each time they reached the deepest point of Willow's thrust back.

"Baby, oh… baby I…" Willow knuckles went white around the headboard as her movements stopped being fluid, her muscles jumping and stuttering as she tried to keep up the motions there were giving her such pleasure.

"Remember I want you screaming." Tara licked over the redhead's shoulder as she began to move her fingers in a fast circle over Willow's centre when her hips could no longer keep up the direct stimulation.

"I… can't…" For a second the redhead tried to object as a flash of other people milling around the house filled her brain but as Tara eased a third finger into her tight body she was pushed over the edge of even caring about that. She felt the delightful sparks of her orgasm flaring up her back down to fill her hips and her head. "TAAARRRRAAA!" She tipped her head back trying to find an outlet for the almost overpowering feeling as it swept through her body.

"Oh Willow I love you." The blonde leaned her cheek down on Willow's hot skin, closing her eyes as she bathed in the fulfilment that was pouring off her lover. She could feel the quivering of muscles, the flood around her hands, the twitching of overwhelmed nerves and above all hear as Willow gave in to be overtaken by it all. Seeing again how trusting her lover was, willing to give her control now in a way she doubted that Willow would think she was safe to do if she'd taken the time to think about it.

"Oh Goddess baby." Willow managed to whimper the words as the strength in her arms disappeared, her body slumping against Tara though her hips still tried to keep rocking. "I love you."

"I'm right here." Tara whispered assurances as she slowed down their bodies and tenderly eased her hands away, moving her arms up to circle Willow's waist. "Lay down with me now." She instructed knowing that the redhead was long past questions or requests. She eased Willow's spent body down onto her side on the mattress, having to even help unbend the redhead's legs and settle her into what would be a comfortable position. "Feel good?" She teased lightly as she curled her body in to spoon around her lover who was still shaking and panting.

"Lacking…" Willow managed enough energy to press back against Tara, cupping her arms around the ones that held her. "Word." She felt her body shudder again from a blissful aftershock and it made her groan.

"I should make up new words to describe how beautiful you are." Tara kissed her shoulder lightly enjoying each flare and shudder her lover was still experiencing.

For a moment her mind flashed to their coming fight with the First and for a fleeting moment she didn't just believe they could win, she knew they would, there was nothing on earth that she would let take this love from her again. Nothing.

-x-


	26. Chapter 26

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Twenty Six.**

"Faith, go take a nap." Piper chuckled as she managed to smack the staff out of the other Slayer's hands for the third time. "Or go meditate or something because where ever your attention is, it ain't here and I'm not going be responsible for hurting you."

With a sigh the dark haired Slayer bent down, retrieving the staff and tossing it to Piper who caught it one handed and gave it a short spin.

"I'll take you later." Faith warned as she backed up and walked to the house she was in.

She stopped briefly in the kitchen trying to decide if she wanted anything, but she found even chocolate or a beer weren't appealing. With a sigh she moved to the door to the basement and pushed it open. A soft moaning was probably only audible to the Slayer because of her incredible hearing.

"Mmmmm Faith." A very soft whisper added a very recognizable purr.

For a moment Faith was unsure of what to do, but in the end curiosity got the better of the dark haired Slayer, after all the younger woman had been on her mind all day since her conversation with Tara. She eased down the stairs into the room.

Dawn probably wouldn't have heard her even if the Slayer hadn't have been using her stealth approach. She was laid back on the bed, her hair fanned out behind her. She had on a billowy top, the small buttons she'd undone so that her bra was visible. The button-fly on her jeans was undone and her right hand was firmly pressed down inside the material. She had her eyes closed and licked her partially open lips.

Faith came to rest against the wall on the far side of the room from the bed, swallowing forcefully unable to take her eyes off the vision before her.

Dawn was oblivious as she flexed her hips trying to get more comfortable. She'd spent the whole morning since Faith had gotten up and gone off to train feeling aroused and unsatisfied. She'd hoped they'd be able to repeat the late night activities, never had she felt such an explosive release. She tried not to think about the differences, knowing that would only make this all the harder. She needed something just to make going upstairs and facing research and seeing Faith training bearable.

"Mmmmm God please." She groaned feeling the centre of pleasure inside her come unfocused a bit making release more elusive. "Please..." She groaned pulling her hand back and going to move her jeans down further. As she did she opened her eyes and yelped. "FAITH!" She sat up going bright red and feeling ultimately guilty.

"Shit, sorry." Faith automatically looked down and then turned her head away.

"No, oh God I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been doing that." Dawn turned on the bed trying to do up her shirt. "I'm so stupid, I'm sorry."

"D, hey Dawn, stop, it's okay." Faith looked up sensing the hurried movement, she took a few steps towards the bed.

"No, oh God I'm so stupid." Dawn shook her head, her eyes welling with tears as she tried to do up her jeans.

"Dawn, Dawn it's okay." Faith reached the bed and put her hand over where Dawn's was on her belt. "Really it's okay." She added trying to catch Dawn's eyes.

"How can it be? You just found me..." Dawn stopped not able to finish. "I'm so stupid." She blinked teary brown eyes.

"Okay look, I just came in to my room to find the most beautiful young woman, laid out on my bed, pleasuring herself using my name." Faith summed up what the other woman didn't seem able to. "Dawn there is nothing wrong with that, in fact, it was fucking sexy." She pointed out.

"It was?" The brunette questioned biting her lip.

"How could it not be? God Dawn." Faith shook her head. "You looked beautiful."

"I just... last night felt so good." She moved closer to the dark Slayer.

"It did." Faith agreed, in an unusual move she closed her arms around the younger woman and held her close. "It really did." She admitted again.

Dawn held her back hesitating for a moment before she slipped her own arms up hugging her tightly, she tucked her cheek against Faith's.

"You're hot." Faith breathed nuzzling back against Dawn's.

"I am." Dawn whispered out feeling all of the panic and shame melt away as she pressed closer to Faith's body. "I was sort of a little busy."

"I know, sorry about that I had no right..." Faith whispered. "To interrupt."

"You didn't, I was thinking about you." Dawn shook her head. "I was just embarrassed you caught me.'

"I came in to catch a couple of hours sleep." Faith explained.

"Oh, you're tired? Are you okay?" Dawn put her hand up to Faith's forehead. "Do you want me to make you some hot chocolate?"

"I'm not tired Dawn, I'm unfocused." Faith pointed out her eyes closing a little as Dawn's palm pressed on her brow.

"Unfocused, oh I can go." Dawn brought her hand down. "Is it my fault?"

"You want to go?" Faith's eyes opened as Dawn pulled back.

"No, not really." Dawn shook her head. "But if you need to focus."

"You could help me focus." Faith offered.

"Can I? I would like to do that." Dawn reached up again running her fingers along Faith's cheek.

"Do you know any meditations?" The dark Slayer swallowed.

"Meditations? Mmmmm no. Would a massage help?" Dawn offered.

"A kiss might." Faith breathed out.

Dawn took a breath of her own before she tried to ignore the faster beating of her heart. She leaned forward gliding her lips onto Faith's. One of Faith's hands slid down and squeezed Dawn's ass as the other slide up her back to hold her head, immediately taking the kiss deep.

Dawn whimpered loudly as her liquid body melted more with the hot kiss.

"Sorry, it's just I've wanted to do that since last night." Releasing the younger woman Faith drew her hands back to her own body and stepped back.

"Mmmmm me too." Dawn didn't let her retreat, following the step back so she could press to her again and kiss her.

"Mmmmm is right." Faith breathed in a convenient breathing pause.

"This could help us focus." Dawn looped her arms around Faith's shoulders.

"It could, how are you feeling?" Faith asked putting her hands on Dawn's hips.

"Hot." Dawn pushed her hips closer.

"That's a nice top you're wearing, I've never seen it before." Faith moaned lightly.

"I was going to wear it to the dance we were having at school." Dawn threaded her hands up into dark hair. "Well before they cancelled it and everything to do with school."

"You wanna dance baby?" Faith smirked and leaned over the bed to flick on the small stereo.

"That would be very cool." Dawn grinned from ear to ear.

"Well look, let me slip into something more dance sexy and you dim the lights." She grinned back.

Dawn tried to busy herself as Faith changed, first she dimmed the lights as requested and then she moved to put some CD's in the changers so that they could have their own selection instead of the radio.

Faith fastened her black belt and smoothed her hands down the front of her newest pair of black leathers, before turning around slowly. She pushed her hands into her pockets, the tight muscles in her arms shown to their best in the skin-tight armless tank top she wore.

"Hi." Dawn waved as she hit shuffle and the room filled with music.

"Hi, did you want drinks?" Faith asked looking Dawn up and down slowly.

"No, just to dance." Dawn started to walk closer.

"With me, or do I get to watch?" Faith smirked.

"With you." Dawn blushed thinking back to her position on the bed.

"Great." Faith smiled and reached out her hand, Dawn filled it with hers immediately. Faith drew the younger woman closer sliding her hands to Dawn's hips moving her in rhythm with music.

"Do you want to go to the dance with me if the school ever opens again?" Dawn smiled as they moved.

"You'd want to take me to a school dance?"

"Definitely." Dawn nodded. "Want to show off my girlfriend."

"Can I wear a suit?" Faith checked.

"Mmmmm tailored?" Dawn made a picture of Faith in a gorgeous dark suit in her head.

"Whatever you want." Faith smirked. "As long as it's a suit."

"Please." Dawn nodded softly.

"You're gonna have to get a new outfit." Faith pointed out.

"There was this dress at Penny's, it was black and silky. It was gorgeous." Dawn mused moving with Faith.

"I'm I gonna have to get a job to keep you?" Faith arched an eyebrow.

"Summers women are never cheap." Dawn grinned at her.

"Someone should have told me this." Faith tightened her grip to show she was joking.

"Opps too late." Dawn laughed and turned swaying against her.

"You really did look beautiful on my bed when I came in." Faith whispered into Dawn's ear as she moved her body against the other woman's.

"Mmmmm I was thinking about last night." Dawn pressed back against her feeling her body shiver.

"You were beautiful then too." Faith nodded.

"Is that why you're unfocused?" Dawn questioned reaching one hand back and hooked it in Faith's belt. "Because I fell asleep before you." She tried to say what she meant without saying it.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked softly her hands sliding down to cup her ass.

"Because you didn't... I didn't do anything for you." Dawn tried to explain more distracted by Faith's hands.

"Yeah that had something to do with it." Faith admitted softly.

"I'm sorry, pretty selfish girlfriend." Dawn frowned a little.

"No, exhausted, spent sexy girlfriend." Faith corrected her quickly.

"Mmmmm who didn't do anything to make you exhausted." Dawn leaned back against her.

"Dawn, listen okay, sometimes satisfying the other person is enough." Faith said though a part of her could hardly believe she was saying anything close to this. Finding Dawn as she had though had underlined part of the reason she was unfocused. The night before she hadn't got her part of the bargain as she usually considered it. Faith had never had any issues with making sure her lover of the moment got off, but it was always with the stipulation that she get what was coming for her too. Last night it hadn't mattered, and when she'd seen Dawn stretched out it hadn't mattered then either. The first thought that had come to her was to go over and help the brunette find the release she obviously needed, Faith for the monumental time hadn't been thinking anything about herself.

"I want to make you exhausted." Dawn turned looking into dark eyes.

"It takes a lot to do that D." Faith smirked proudly.

"I want to try." Dawn reached down putting her hands in Faith's pockets.

"You don't have to do this D, not if you don't want to." Faith's voice dropped a little as a flare of desire swept through her.

"I want to do this." Dawn leaned in to kiss her. Faith leaned too and met the lips eagerly squeezing Dawn's ass tighter. "That's what I was thinking about doing." She admitted when their lips parted to breathe.

"Really?" Faith breathed in surprised.

"Mmmmm but I was having trouble because I couldn't imagine how good you would feel." Dawn pushed her trying to get Faith to back up towards the bed.

"You want to feel me?" Faith backed up slowly.

"I want to hear what you're like when you feel good, and to feel you." Dawn nodded her voice thick.

"God Dawn, who taught you to seduce?" Faith swallowed hard knowing just from the look in the brunette's eyes that she wanted this, and from the ache in her body Faith knew it was what she wanted too.

"Books." Dawn smiled proud that she was doing a good job.

"Damn good books." Faith smirked.

"Thank Willow and Tara." Dawn pressed her back so that the Slayer had to sit down and she could straddle over her. Faith settled Dawn on her lap looking into dark eyes. "Is this okay?" She checked softly stroking Faith's hair back off her shoulders.

"It's great." Faith nodded her voice low and husky filled with arousal.

Dawn cupped her girlfriend's head and kissed her deeply, boldly exploring Faith's mouth with her tongue. Faith groaned deeply and squeezed Dawn's body tight.

"Mmmmm I want to touch you." Dawn slid her hands down over the dark Slayer's shoulders moving lower.

"You are touching me." Faith purred.

"I meant..." Dawn moved her hands lower to the tops of Faith's breasts.

"You want to touch the twins?" Faith tried to clarify.

"I so want to touch the twins." Dawn giggled at the name.

"Here." Faith drew her hands off Dawn's body and pulled off her tight tank top, she was naked beneath it.

"Wow." Dawn looked down licking her lips as her vision traced over Faith's body.

"Feel free to touch D." Faith chuckled softly.

Dawn slowly dragged her fingers down, letting her fingertips slide down over the generous swells. Faith drew in a long breath and tipped her head back a little. The brunette became intent on exploring as her fingers drew around, swirling slowly to cup the underside of each breast before she drew the fingers of her right hand up, swirling carefully as she watched Faith's nipple harden and swell.

"Oh yeah D." Faith breathed harder.

"That feels good?" Dawn checked as she swirled her finger around the stiff flesh.

"Yes Dawn, more than good." She confirmed.

Dawn moved her other hand up, pressing her palm into Faith's other breast massaging it. Faith arched her back pressing her breasts into Dawn's hands, the soft inquisitive touch intensely pleasurable.

"Lay down." Dawn requested softly. Without really thinking Faith leaned back her back landing on the mattress. "Thank you." She used the new position to press both her palms to Faith's breasts before she leaned over kissing the dark Slayer.

"Mmmmm ooh yeah." Faith groaned into the kiss.

"Faith, have you seen Dawn." The bedroom door swung opened and Giles stepped down the stairs his nose in the book he was carrying.

"Oh my God." Dawn froze looking over her shoulder at the Watcher in shock.

"Good lord, I'm sorry Dawn, I thought this was Faith's room." Giles apologised unable to see Faith or for the moment figure out what Dawn was doing until he saw the second set of legs and his eyes flared wider.

"It um is her room." Dawn kept looking at him not wanting to move.

"G man you got shit timing." Faith pushed up, wrapping her arm around Dawn so that the other woman was covering her chest. Her chin rested over Dawn's shoulder so she could see the Watcher.

"Bloody hell." Giles hissed ripping his glasses off his face.

"We were... busy." Dawn gulped hearing his reaction.

"Faith, outside!" Giles ordered his voice low and authoritative.

"Giles, it's okay." Dawn tried to reach over and get Faith her shirt.

"Apparently no D, its not." Faith pushed up picked Dawn up and lightly placing her on her feet making sure she didn't bother to cover her bare breasts for a long moment before pulling on the top. "Come on then G-man lets take this outside." She walked up the stairs behind him and then pulled the door closed behind her.

"Get you bags and leave." Giles pointed to the front door, his voice steely.

"No." Faith shook her head.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be Faith." He growled.

"I'm not, you're making this harder than it needs to be." Faith growled back.

"We weren't doing anything wrong."

"Well that's not what it looked like to me." The Watcher stated tightly. "It looked like you were taking advantage of a young impressionable child."

"If you had a good enough look Giles you'd have noticed I wasn't on top of Dawn she was on top of me, doing what she wanted to do. Doing only what she wanted." Faith locked her jaw. "And if you're even suggesting I'd take advantage of Dawn you're lucky I don't knock all your teeth out."

"Couldn't you pick someone else?" Giles hissed angry.

"I didn't pick Dawn, she picked me." Faith shook her head. "It doesn't matter what I say does it?"

"You can't expect me to believe Dawn, the young woman who watched you destroy her sister, chose to court you?" He shook his head back.

"Why? We believed you could be a good man after all you did with Ethan Ripper." Dawn pushed the door open and stared at him.

"That's different." Giles objected with a frown turning to look at the teenager.

"Is it?" Dawn stared at him.

"Dawn please, go inside, I was having this discussion with Faith." Giles smiled tightly at her.

"You were having this discussion with Faith about me, so why won't you have this discussion about me with me?" Dawn didn't budge. "You think she took advantage of me? Giles, she's been doing everything she can to not do anything to encourage me. I'm not a little girl anymore, I know what I'm doing."

"Whatever she told you Dawn, you don't have to protect her." Giles looked at Dawn assuming that would be the angle the teenager was being forced to play.

"Protect her?" Dawn looked at him. "I am not protecting her. I am trying to tell you that I'm in love with her."

For the first time in the conversation Giles truly didn't know what to say.

"I think that's your cue to apologise and leave." Faith pointed out.

"This is not finished." He looked at Faith his voice icy as he straightened his tie and tucked the book under his arm. Turning he head right for the door closing it almost too quietly behind him.

"Things are gonna get ugly now." Faith frowned hating the fact she had to say it.

"Come on." Dawn took the dark Slayer's hand and pulled her back towards their room.

"D, I don't know." Faith frowned more, hesitantly looking at their hands.

"Do you care what they think?" Dawn stopped looking at her sadly.

"I care what they think about you, yes." Faith admitted.

"They think I'm a little girl who doesn't know what she wants, but I do. I want to be with you." Dawn said firmly.

"I want to be with you too D." Faith admitted in a soft voice. "You're one Hell of a woman."

"I'm seventeen, I can be brash and bitchy as my sister was." She grinned at her own confidence.

"Actually I feel sure she was heading right off towards stuck up tight ass even then." Faith chuckled.

"Yeah, come on." Dawn urged her again.

Faith looked at Dawn for a long moment weighing her options. She did just want to go back downstairs and forget that Giles was now on a rampage, probably going right to snitch to Buffy. She wanted to just spend time with Dawn, time when she didn't have to feel worthless or unwanted.

"You told Giles you were in love with me" She challenged her voice a little curious.

"Yes." Dawn nodded smiling shyly.

"You didn't have to say that to him." She pointed out.

"I didn't say it just to convince him, I... I said it cause it was true." Dawn squeezed her hand.

"Are you going to be gentle with me?" Faith grinned broadly moving towards the door.

"Mmmmm if you ask really nice." Dawn teased as they moved.

-x-

Buffy went through the series again with all the SIT's following her. It was the most mindless activity she could probably think of but it was at least keeping everyone busy while they waited for the big fight.

"Piper could you take over here." Giles took long strides into the yard calling to the Slayer as he went. Piper who was still working on her staff moves looked up quizzically but followed regardless.

"Piper, thank you." Buffy stopped her move and walked over to Giles. "What's up?"

"Faith." Giles said quickly and bluntly he put his hand on her arm and drew Buffy towards the house.

"What about Faith?" Buffy reluctantly followed him.

"We need to move her, I was thinking in with Sandra and I, and the witches." He explained his reasoning.

"Why? That would leave her house uncovered." Buffy pulled to a stop. "Giles, what's wrong? You've got that look."

"Piper could cover." Giles pointed flat out.

"Okay, something's obviously got the Watcher in a snit. What did Faith do?" Buffy stared at him.

"She is attempting to, for want of a better phrase, to corrupt your sister." Giles growled.

"Corrupt my sister?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"I just walked in on them." He coughed and looked down.

"Doing what?" Buffy questioned feeling her shoulder's tensing.

"Well I didn't care to look to closely, but Dawn was sat on Faith's knee and Faith was, well, partially naked." He coughed again blushing high in his cheeks.

"Needs." Buffy cursed as she remembered the conversation and pushed passed the Watcher into the house. "DAWN!" She yelled moving immediately to the dark Slayer's room. She stomped down the stairs in normal Slayer style not even thinking to have knocked or wait for Dawn to come to the door.

Dawn turned from her place back on Faith's knee, pulling her head back from what had obviously been a deep hard kiss.

"What?" She asked her tone short and slightly annoyed even though she recognised her sister's voice. Couldn't the world just leave them alone for a few minutes?

"What the hell is going on?" She pushed in looking at them.

"We're having private time." Dawn frowned.

"D, I don't think that line's gonna work on your big sis." Faith rubbed her hand on Dawn's leg. "Do you want me to talk to her?" The dark haired Slayer asked looking just at Dawn.

"Actually Faith at the moment this has nothing to do with you, I want to talk to Dawn." Buffy put her hands on her hips.

"I'll take a walk." Faith gently lifted Dawn up and rested her on her feet. Pushing her hands into her leather pant pockets she walked softly passed Buffy and up the stairs to go out of the room.

"What did you do that for?" Dawn hissed angrily putting her hands on her hips to mirror her sister.

"Because apparently you're 'needs'..." She put her fingers up for mock quotations. "Have turned into full fledged naked groping."

"Giles." Dawn growled. "He had no right to run and snitch to you."

"Oh course he had every right to tell me, Dawn you're my sister." Buffy looked at her in disbelief. "What because this is Faith and not some teenage football player I'm supposed to condone what you're doing?"

"I haven't 'done' anything, people keep interrupting." Dawn's voice tightened and went a notch higher.

"Okay, when we had this 'I'm a grown up conversation' I did my best to be understanding. When you said you were in love with Faith, I also tried to be understanding but Dawn you are still my little sister and it is still my job to take care of you. No more sleeping in Faith's room, no more doing anything that needs interrupting." Buffy laid down the law. "You want to date fine, but I'm not letting you move in with her."

"What?" Dawn squeaked.

"You're not playing house with her." She motioned around. "You're staying at the house with me from now on."

"No way!" Dawn shook her head. "You can't do this to me."

"Yes actually I can, I'm your sister and legal guardian Dawn. What the Hell do you think Mom would think of you doing this?" Buffy frowned. "You're acting like some tart."

"Exactly what she though of you doing it with Angel, though you actually slept with him, which Faith and I haven't done." Dawn's retort was caustic.

"Exactly." Buffy nodded. "Mom wouldn't have allowed this."

"That didn't stop you sleeping with Angel." Dawn bit back

"No Dawn it didn't." Buffy conceded. "But Mom didn't give me a room, a box of condoms and send me on my way either did she?"

"She didn't have to, you snuck out most nights out of your window, what did you think I wouldn't notice?" Dawn snapped. "You can't stop me being with Faith. I wouldn't let you before and after last night there is no way you can."

"Dawn, are you even listening to me?" Buffy waved in the air. "I'm not doing some big you can't see Faith thing, I'm telling you I'm not letting you shack up with her. And me sneaking out was a whole different thing, Mom didn't know I was the slayer."

"So I can be with Faith, just not sleep in her bed? How much sense does that make?" Dawn argued.

"It makes the whole you're seventeen and in high school sense." Buffy argued back.

"So we can have hot sex all afternoon as long as I tuck up next to you and Piper at night?" Dawn shook her head.

"Dawn where the hell has all of this come from? Two months ago you were playing with your Barbie's and watching Disney now you're talking about hot sex all afternoon?" Buffy scowled.

"Look around you Buffy. I'm not a little girl anymore and if you paid any attention to me you'd know I haven't liked Barbie's in years." Dawn rolled her eyes at the typically Buffy comment. "Willow has Tara, you have Piper, Zoë has Bethany, Xander has Anya, Giles had Sandra, its a little hard to be not sexually aware at the moment."

"Giles has who?" Buffy flashed shocked eyes at her. "Fine, so everyone is doing it around you, that doesn't mean you go out and bang the first girl you can find. Look do you want me to ban you from seeing her at all?"

"You could try, but it wouldn't work, I'd just sneak out, I learned how to from an expert." Dawn retaliated.

"Dawn, do you have any concept of what we are trying to fight right now? This isn't about you and your love life, our focus is beating the First." Buffy growled. "And you're acting like a selfish little girl."

"I know what we're fighting and I know that we could all die, and I won't die a little girl! I won't I won't! Get out!" She whined at her sister getting too overwhelmed by Buffy's refusal to even listen to her.

"No." Buffy shook her head. "Not 'till you understand what is going to happen from now on and that doesn't include hot sex for you with anyone all of any afternoon."

"B, this isn't really your choice." Faith said from behind the Slayer. She had started to walk away, but had decided against it after all that's what the old Faith would have done. The first sign of trouble she would have run for the hills denying all knowledge of the trouble in her wake, but that's not who she was anymore.

"I am giving you the world biggest birth right now, don't make me regret that fact." Buffy held up her hand signally Faith to shut up.

"I know you are, but I can't do it B, I can't watch you take her down." Faith continued regardless.

"Does no one see how incredibly reasonable I'm being here?" Buffy looked between them.

"I see how caring you're being and how worried, Hell I'd be the same if D were my kid sis." Faith pointed out. "But B, telling what she can and can't do, isn't the way to face this."

"What I'm supposed to buy you two a plant as a housewarming gift?" Buffy snarled at her. "She's seventeen Faith and she as you pointed out she is my kid sister."

"She is, and I haven't put one finger in an inappropriate place." Faith moved back passed Buffy and moved to Dawn's side.

"Surprisingly enough Faith I'm not worried about you I'm worried about hormone needs girl here." Buffy pointed at her sister.

"Not everyone is like you B, you know not discovering their hormones till they are twenty two and faced with a hot chick on a Harley. D deserves someone, and if she wants that someone to be me, then, hey…" Faith shrugged. "Well she could do worse."

"I love her Buffy." Dawn added the important evidence.

"Take shots at me Faith, that's really helping. I could ask point out that it seems sad that when you couldn't get one Summers sister you went for the other." She glared at the dark Slayer.

"Don't flatter yourself B." Faith laughed at the comment.

"Are you listening to me?" Dawn stamped her foot annoyed.

"You love her, you keep saying that and telling me how you're such an adult now then you stamp your feet like you're still five and I wouldn't share my cone when you dropped yours." Buffy looked back at her sister. "Mom would never have condoned this Dawn, I can't either."

"I hate you!" Dawn screeched and ran up the stairs and out of the house.

"Stay away from her." Buffy warned Faith. "She's not staying in here with you anymore."

"You keep this up B and she's gonna do something stupid." Faith warned.

"And what am I supposed to do Faith? Tell her that sleeping with you or anyone right now is a good idea?" Buffy questioned.

"Trust me with her." Faith countered.

"Faith, you're asking to let my sister basically move in with you." Buffy couldn't believe the other Slayer's audacity.

"Yes I am." Faith nodded. "I promise not do start anything."

"But you'll finish it." Buffy pointed out tightly.

"What am I supposed to say Buffy, you want me to promise not to take her cherry?" Faith asked bluntly.

"You didn't just say that." Buffy put her hand up to her forehead and did a slow circle. "You so better have not just said that."

"You prefer the proper term." Faith pointed out.

"I prefer you not talking about my sister in that way at all." Buffy snarled at her.

"Actually I'm kinda proud I gave your sister the first real orgasm of her life last night." Faith couldn't stop the words.

"You bitch!" Buffy was on her in a second, her hands around the other Slayer's throat as the inertia of her jump made them land back against the bed. Faith tried hard to push Buffy back and off her having been slightly surprised by the force of the assault. "If I didn't need you to kill the First I'd choke the life out of you." She growled pinning Faith down but not yet relaxing the grip she had. "Stay away from my sister!"

"Buffy, what on earth is going on here?" From the door way Tara's horrified voice called their attention as she came all the way down the stairs.

"Stay away from Dawn." Buffy spat the words at Faith before she pulled back, letting the dark Slayer get some air. "You don't want to know." She shook her head stepping back carefully in case Faith retaliated; she almost hoped she would now.

"She…" Faith coughed. "She already knows." She coughed twice more rubbing at her throat.

"Can't help bragging can you." Buffy snarled considering pulling back and punching her.

"Buffy!" Tara snapped again. "Don't make me calm you down." She warned in an uncharacteristically firm voice.

"Threats don't suit you." Buffy turned slowly looking at Tara with equal parts shock and contempt.

"And petty violence doesn't suit you Buffy." Tara's voice instantly softened.

"This is not petty this is my sister." She underlined.

"Yes your sister, who right now Willow has had to stop using a knife on herself." Tara pointed out sadly.

"What?" Buffy stalled looking at the blonde.

"I think you heard me Buffy." She looked back up the stairs.

"Is she okay?" Faith jumped up from off the bed. "Shit you complete ass." She growled at Buffy.

"Shut up." Buffy snapped back. "This is her idea of grown up?" She pushed past Tara moving up into the main portion of the house to try and find Dawn.

The back door banged as Buffy charged outside and then moved over, hopping the fence into her back yard and moved into her house. The Summers kitchen was filled with the soft sound of sobbing by the time Buffy got there. Willow was stood beside one of the breakfast stools her arm around Dawn's back rubbing softly over the light flowy blouse she still wore

"Dawn, Willow." Buffy pushed in. "What's going on?" She moved around to see Dawn from the front and check her.

"Um Buffy, I'm not sure here is a good place for you to be right now." Willow said somewhat hesitantly as Dawn buried herself into Willow's body.

"Dawn, what do you want to do? You're going to cut yourself like at the hospital, what until I tell you that you can sleep with Faith?" Buffy questioned.

"Buffy, really I don't think you should..." Willow objected again.

"Dawn!" Buffy pushed.

"What do you understand about me? Leave me alone." Dawn looked up, her eyes already red raw from crying.

"I'm your sister, I only want what's best for you." Buffy leaned her hands on the work surface.

"You don't care about me." Dawn shook her head.

"Oh course I do, I love you." Buffy shook her head back.

"You don't, you don't even look at me as an individual, as a person, I'm just the key, something made by the monks and forced on you." Dawn snapped feeling all the pain and rage boil up from inside her. "You don't love me. If you loved me you would at least try and understand." She thought of all the times that Buffy had let her down, all the times her sister had said it was going to be all right and then it hadn't been. She remembered the feeling every day and night she'd been alone wishing her sister and Mother were still alive and then all the days and nights when Buffy had been alive again but didn't have any interest in her.

"I died for you Dawn." Buffy looked into brown eyes. "Not for a key, not even for this useless world. I died for you." She held them a second longer before she pushed away and out the back door leaving it to slam back on its hinges.

"Why aren't I allowed to be happy?" Dawn pulled herself in a tight ball and rocked.

"Oh sweetie." Willow hugged her and rocked with her.

"D!" The front door swung open and Faith ran through.

"Faith." Willow was a bit surprised to see her.

"Red." Faith gave her a nod hurrying to kneel on the floor in front of Dawn. "D, come on Dawn, look at me."

"Everything is ruined." Dawn stayed curled up against Willow's body causing Faith to sigh and push up shaking her head.

"Look after her Red." She said turning to go back to the door, she quickly jumped back into the yard where the SITs were working out. "Birdy." She took long strides out into the yard.

"What's up?" Owl looked at Faith.

"Go find your girl." Faith took the staff off Piper and turned to the SITs the whole move a flawless transfer.

"Faith, what's going on?" Owl stepped back questioning.

"Just go find Buffy." Faith didn't even bother turning her attention from the SITs.

"Ok, going." Piper turned and ran towards the big house.

-x-

Piper just went straight to the first place she could think of to find the blonde, their place in the basement, a place she was hoping Buffy would see as being 'theirs' and thus safe.

Buffy didn't even hear the other Slayer enter as she railed off punch after punch into the metal and wood dummy at the side of the room. She hadn't bothered to tape up her hands, so her knuckles were already raw and bloody.

"Buffy, baby." Piper jogged hurriedly down the stairs.

"I try and I try." Buffy hit the wood making it splinter. It was probably only as Piper got closer that she would have been able to see that the blonde was crying.

"Buffy, hey what's going on?" Piper pulled Buffy's shoulders back, trying to turn Buffy to her.

"Dawn." Buffy let herself be turned though her hard stance didn't really change.

"Is she hurt?" Piper tried to understand.

"What am I supposed to do?" Buffy questioned shaking her head. "She's only seventeen."

"She's staying here baby, she's not going to get hurt." Piper rubbed the blonde's arm.

"No, she wants to sleep with Faith." Buffy blurted out.

"Sorry?" She blinked and coughed.

"She says she's in love with Faith, Giles found them making out and then Faith is shooting off her big mouth about how they were together last night." Buffy stepped away and turned kicking the dummy's head off.

"And you don't think she is in love with her?" Piper tried to work out.

"Piper it doesn't matter if she is, she's seventeen. I can't let her shack up with Faith just because the world might be ending." Buffy threw up her hands.

"You think this is about the end of the world, and not about love?" Piper tried to keep up.

"I think this is about my little sister and Faith having hot sex all day as she put it."

Buffy turned to look at Piper. "Or as Faith put it taking her cherry." She growled.

"Baby I know Faith hasn't got the best mouth, but she wouldn't hurt Dawn would she?" Piper frowned gently.

"Wouldn't hurt her? Dawn wants to sleep with her, how is that not hurting her?"

Buffy questioned.

"Do I hurt you when I sleep with you?" Piper frowned.

"I'm not a kid, I'm not a virgin Piper." Buffy pointed out.

"You were once." Piper countered.

"Yeah, and despite my mother doing everything she could I slept with a three hundred year old vampire who lost his soul, killed my Watcher's girlfriend and almost killed everyone else I love." The blonde sat down on the bed.

"Faith's not going to do that." Piper pointed out. "And I really don't think Dawn is."

"You think she's doing the right thing?" Buffy heard all of the questions and added them up.

"Buffy I don't know what she's feeling, or what Faith is feeling, but I do understand what it feels like to be seventeen and wanting someone, do you know how old I was when Shanti and I got together?" She questioned.

"No." Buffy shook her head.

"Sixteen." Piper said quietly.

"Piper, I've really worked hard to get over the whole she's only seventeen and says she has needs. But I can't condone her moving into Faith's room." Buffy shook her head.

"Then don't." Piper shook her head. "But realistically Buffy, what can you do to stop them?"

"She's just a kid." Buffy put her head in her hands.

"She's nearly a woman." Piper countered.

"She's not. She started stamping her feet and then went and tried to cut herself up."

Buffy lay back on her side curling her arms around herself.

"And what did you do when your mom told you not to see Angel?" The tall Slayer

"I saw him anyway, and almost got everyone I loved killed." Buffy whispered.

"Baby, listen to me, I understand what you're saying, I do. But this isn't Angel, and this isn't you." Piper reached out and stroked her back.

"No, it's Dawnie." Buffy whispered.

"I know, but Dawn is a seventeen year old and she's faced more in her little life than most people do in a lifetime." Piper continued. "She's scared, and doesn't know what's going to happen tomorrow. She's surrounded by people who are trying their best to be okay but she's smart, she knows we're all stressed out about this. She wants something baby, something you as her sister, as family can't give her." Piper leaned close to her lover. "It's obvious Faith wouldn't be your choice for Dawn, but…" She took a breath.

"I just want to keep her safe, that's all I've ever wanted." Buffy looked at Piper.

"I know." Piper nodded. "And you want her not to make mistakes with her life and her body." Piper added to show she understood. "But baby, you can only do so much."

"I have to protect her." Buffy shook her head defiantly.

"What are you afraid Faith will do to her Buffy?" Piper asked.

"You don't know what Faith is capable of, she'll hurt her." Buffy tried to make her understand. "Or worse."

"I've heard you say that Buffy but what do you mean?" Piper tried to get her to be specific.

"She killed people Piper, real people, killed them for fun." Buffy answered the question head on. "She tried to help the mayor end the world, she tried to kill Willow, and me."

"And she went to prison, she paid for that crime and got help." Piper countered. "You really think she'd kill Dawn?"

"I don't know. I didn't think she'd betray me and she did." Buffy remembered. "She's done it again and again Piper, she stole my body once. Tried to make a run for South America, after she'd gone around ruining my life."

"Things were different then Buffy, come on, be honest, has she put a foot wrong since being back?" Piper made her think harder. "You said to day she made a comment about Dawn's virginity, after having spent at least two nights, with the 'old Faith', would she still be 'intact'?"

"No." Buffy tried to bar the idea of Dawn's virginity from her mind.

"Buffy I don't know what Faith put you through, and Hell I sure as damn aren't belittling it, but, if she's changed, really changed then perhaps she deserves a chance to prove it." Piper offered. "I'm not suggesting you go tell Dawn to sleep with Faith, I think you're right to disapprove and to underline that you think they should wait." She added. "I even think you're right to say that Dawn should sleep in Amanda's room." She took a breath. "But right now, things are too fucked up, to be coming down like a ten ton weight on her discipline wise."

"It doesn't matter what I do, she hates me." Buffy breathed out sadly.

"Yeah she will, but she will also love you forever and ever." Piper smiled equally sadly. "Just underline you love her and that you don't want her doing something she'll regret but stress that you'll love her no matter what she decides. Then trust her." She said very softly.

"She won't even talk to me." Buffy shook her head curling up into a tighter ball.

"Then give her time." Piper curled herself around Buffy's back resting her head beside the blonde's.

"We don't have time." Buffy whispered closing her eyes trying to block out the pain.

"Two hours is time Baby." Piper pointed out how a world like time was relative "Want me to try?"

"Do you think it would help?" Buffy questioned her voice childlike.

"How about I give it a go?" Piper offered.

"In a little while." Buffy pulled her lover's arm around her tighter.

"Hey do I look like I'm planning on going anywhere while my baby needs me?" Piper held her tighter; showing the blonde Slayer that she was her priority and that as long as Buffy needed her to, she would be there to hold her.

-x-

"Rupert you really had no right to interfere." Sandra frowned hard at the older Watcher from her place at the dining room table.

"With respect Sandra, you do not know Faith, nor Dawn for that matter." Giles refused to listen.

"With equal respect." Sandra retorted. "I didn't know you until I got here, but that doesn't seem to stop us sharing a bed does it." She countered.

For a moment Giles floundered a little.

"I do hope you are not suggesting I in any way used this situation to…" He began instantly defensive.

"Oh Rupert stop it, I am not saying you took advantage of a bad situation and lured me into your bed, but I am suggesting that had this not happened, then there is no way we would be together. I am also not suggesting what we share is world changing or forever Rupert I hope you know that." She added with a slight frown.

"Words like forever in a situation like this are not appropriate," The Watcher frowned. "But I sincerely hope you and I are far more than…" He stopped.

"Than convenient sex?" Sandra finished for him. "Of course we're more than that Rupert." She shook her head. "But did either of us really look for more that night when we first slept together?" She challenged and worried by the instantly offended look that crossed the other Watcher's brow Sandra continued. "Rupert please." Her tone dropped a little softer. "All I am saying is that, when facing something scary and uncertain, no one likes to feel alone." She said clearly. "You really had no right to go running to Buffy because you found her seventeen year old sister making out with another woman who is barely three years older than her. Three years Rupert, you're twelve years older than I am."

"That is not the point." Giles defended.

"I know, I know, and I understand what Dawn means to you, but remember in England she could be married with a child by now." Sandra put forward softly.

"I… I have work to do." The Watcher shook his head again and picked up a book moving through with it into the sitting room. Sandra looked up and watched him go, shaking her head sadly.

-x-

Dawn was sat on the floor in her room, her back wedged against the bed in the small space between it in and the dresser on the other side. The odd thing was that being back in her own room didn't make her feel safe and secure as it used to. In a weird way it wasn't her room anymore. It smelled like Tara and Willow now, that mixture of fruit and flowers that had always brought her such peace in the past but today brought her nothing but a feeling of alienation. Why should everyone else have a happy ending? Why shouldn't she be allowed to have something good in her life?

"I bring cookies." A soft voice from the door said as Piper knocked and opened it.

Dawn didn't answer at first but when it became obvious that the tall Slayer wasn't going to move she had too.

"I'm not hungry." Her tone was bland.

"Pity that 'cause I am." Piper came into the room and put the small plate she carried down on the bedside table.

"I'm not in the mood for company." She didn't even look at the other woman.

"Good job I came along then, after all I can hardly be called company, no matter how tall I am, there's still only one of me." Piper smiled as she sat on the bed. "Dawn I know what you're going through right now, and I just wanted to see you, to tell you that you're not alone." She offered.

"What do you know about any of this?" Dawn snarled pulling her long legs up to her body. "Go back to Buffy, after all she's allowed to have sex with anyone she wants."

"Okay for just a second, swallow all that bitterness and shit and listen." Piper looked at Dawn. "When I was fifteen I met someone, she was beautiful, strong, kind, all of those great things I was looking for in my life. I was a little kid, so everyone thought, so they told me. But then I turned sixteen, and I found out the real reason that this girl had suddenly showed up in my life. Her name was Shanti, and she was something they called a Watcher. She had come to train me, to teach me for what may lay ahead of me. And do you know something, if made no fricking difference, I still thought she was great, beautiful and all those other things. Giving her a title and a reason for being in my life meant absolutely nothing to me. I was sixteen, I had the world at my feet and I got to spend some time of every day with a woman I thought was God. We first kissed when I was sixteen years, seven months and five days old."

"How old was she?" Dawn actually looked at her and answered.

"Twenty three." Piper replied looking at the teenager.

"Did you kiss her or did she kiss you?" Dawn rested her chin on her knees.

"I kissed her, more or less cornered her in our training room." Piper smiled at the now seemingly distant memory.

"What did she do?" Dawn kept up the questioning.

"She told me I shouldn't have done it, and cancelled my training for a week." Piper picked up a cookie.

"Then what did you do?" Dawn knew she was being strung into talking but she couldn't help going along with it.

"Gave her a week, went along to the next session." Piper gave a small shrug. "And told her nothing had changed, that I still wanted to kiss her and that I thought she was beautiful." She smiled again.

"And she did what?" Dawn leaned a bit more towards the Slayer.

"She told me I was a kid, and that nothing could happen between us, that she had been sent by the Watcher's council to train me, and that's what she intended to do." Piper recounted almost word for word Shanti's speech. "She told me that if I had a hard time respecting her and working with her then she would return to the Council for them to replace her with another, more suitable candidate."

"But... I thought you and her were together..." Dawn turned leaning her legs down as she looked at Piper.

"Oh we did, she resisted for a whole month." Piper nodded. "Then I went around to see her, just a spur of the moment thing, and she was packing. I remember her crying and pushing things into this big black case." She let herself remember. "I asked her where she was going and she said back to India, to study more, and I was angry, and hurt I thought she hated me, but then she admitted, that it was because she loved me that she was going, because she wanted me like I wanted her."

"You must have been so excited, well that she loved you." Dawn qualified.

"Fuck yeah." Piper nodded. "I was all geared up for the romance of my dreams." The Slayer gave a distant smile.

"Did she leave?" The brunette knew there had to be more.

"Not at first no." Piper shook her head. "It was great, we'd train, make out, she'd take me shopping, we had a great time. People never really questioned anything, after all she was my trainer, spending time with her had to be good right?"

"Definitely." Dawn nodded.

"Right." Piper agreed with a slim smile. "Until someone saw us, making out in the park. Stupid maybe but hey, what did I care, I was young, I was in love, I wanted the world to know. But the world didn't want to know, the world wanted to judge. Shanti received her orders from the Council to leave within forty eight hours."

"What did she do?" Dawn reached without thinking taking a cookie.

"She had no choice, she was there under their orders, they paid her wages, kept her visas updated, and she couldn't stay." Piper took a breath. "She contacted them and asked to stay until my birthday it was only a matter of ten days away. They wouldn't let her." Piper's voice iced a little.

"The Council sucks." Dawn broke the cookie in half and ate it.

"Yeah." Piper agreed easily. "So she packed up and left, going to India, where she had studied, she loved it there. My replacement Watcher arrived on the next flight, Philip Hammond, forty two year old stuck up son of a bitch." She snorted. "I ran him ragged within weeks. He sent report after report on me back to England, about how unsuitable I was, how brash and unstable and not interested in my studies." Piper shook her head. "They sent a team out, to 'discuss' my future with me, and I promised to be a good little girl on one condition." She smiled broadly.

"If they let her come back?" Dawn questioned eating another bite of cookie.

"Yeah." Piper smiled. "And hey they agreed, I thought they had you know flipped and had some kind of brain seizure, but no, they contacted Shanti with a list as long as her arm of conditions for her return, not that I knew that. I just knew that my Shanti was coming back." Piper stopped getting a little more comfortable on the bed. "She'd been back two months we'd trained, always accompanied, and we'd studied, again always with a friend, but then she broke her contract. Want to know how?" She glanced at Dawn, seeing her nod she continued. "She agreed to meet me for a coffee. Yeah you heard right, she agreed, not that she met with me for a coffee, but that she agreed to. The Council had been monitoring her phone calls."

"They're crazy." Dawn shook her head sadly.

"Yeah, well there was a meeting and words like lesbian, and criminal charges got thrown around, and the ultimatum was given, stop loving me or the Council would fire her." Piper sighed.

"They've never been nice to Buffy either." Dawn sighed with her.

"Dawn…" Piper stopped. "You know how this story ends, and I'm not telling you it for sympathy or whatever, I'm telling you to try and explain to you that other people have been where you are now."

"I know they have." Dawn pulled her legs up again. "But they haven't had to deal with Buffy."

"Yeah, Buffy." Piper sighed lovingly. "You know what her problem is don't you?"

"She's overbearing, short-sighted and a stuck up tight ass." She used Faith's terminology almost sadly.

"No, she's scared." Piper shook her head.

"Piper, you might think you know my sister but if you think she gets scared your crazy. She never gets scared." Dawn shook her head back.

"Think about things for a minute Dawn," Piper encouraged. "You think that your sister is a stuck up boring bitch right?"

"Tight ass." Dawn corrected fiddling with her shoelace.

"Yeah okay, but just for a minute think about when your sister took risks, you know did things impulsively." She urged.

"Everyday." Dawn scoffed.

"I'm talking about big things Dawn, like, having sex with Angel?" Piper pointed out.

"She almost got us all killed." The teenager frowned.

"Yeah, exactly, her wanting something, her going after the thing that would make her happy, nearly cost her everything." Piper tried to point out and Dawn looked at Piper not getting it. "She's afraid for you Dawn, not of you or of Faith." She clarified. "She's worried about what will happen if it's not what you want, if it is and its not forever."

"How can anyone know if anything is forever? Willow and Tara thought they were forever and then Willow got addicted to magic and Tara had to leave." Dawn pointed out not buying the whole theory.

"Hey I'm not saying she's right." Piper shook her head. "I'm just trying to tell you her stand point. Buffy loves you more than anything else in this world. She wants you to be free of the pain that her life has been full of." The Slayer went on "She wants to be your buffer in the world."

"But how can I be alive if I don't do things that might bring me pain?" Dawn pushed up to stand.

"You can't." Piper admitted. "But you also can't expect Buffy to be okay about it."

"Why can't she just be happy that I'm happy?" Dawn bit back. "Why does she have to ruin everything she doesn't agree with?"

"She's not trying to ruin it, she's trying to keep you safe. When I was going through all the shit people forced on Shanti and I, I used to hate them, all of them. I still hate the Council, but it's the others I used to really detest." She felt the angry feeling building in her and she forced herself to stay focused. "They let me down, they let us down, friends, people around us. But then after Shanti was murdered I thought about what they were trying to do, they were trying to stop us to protect us."

"But if you had let them stop you then you wouldn't have gotten a chance to love her." Dawn argued. "I just want the chance to do something, to be with someone that I want to be with, to be with Faith."

"I know." Piper nodded. "And so does Buffy, she just wishes that you'd chosen someone else and waited until you were, what, forty or so."

"Practical, even though we all might be dead in a week." Dawn put her hands on her hips.

"We might." Piper nodded. "Look, how about we make a deal?" The Slayer offered. "I'll talk to Buffy, see if I can't get her to give you a little leeway, but you have to pull your side in line too."

"Pull my side in line?" Dawn looked at her perturbed.

"Yeah, no more stunts with knives." Piper put in the obvious condition.

"I wasn't going to do anything." Dawn defended.

"I'm not commenting on what you were or weren't going to do Dawn." Piper shook her head. "I'm suggesting what you do from now on."

"Stay away from Faith." Dawn pre-empted what she figured would be the ultimatum.

"Dawn please." Piper shook her head. "How about dating her, but not flaunting it?"

"I wasn't flaunting it, Giles had no right to barge in on us." Dawn barked moving over to the window.

"Perhaps I could suggest then that the door should have been locked." Piper suggested with a crooked smile.

"Look I'm sorry you lost your girlfriend and I'm sorry that you had to fight to even be with her, but that doesn't mean you know anything about me and my sister." Dawn spun around angry.

"Dawn listen to me, if you keep slapping down everyone who is trying to help you, you're going to end up very, very lonely." Piper held her stance staring back at the young woman.

"I already am lonely. Do you know what it's like living with Buffy when you're not sleeping with her? She ignores you, she only stops long enough to tell you that you're not good enough and then goes off again. Before that Tara left, my Mom died, Giles deserted us and then we thought Tara had been murdered and Willow tried to kill us all. I know lonely." She frowned, her face full of deep-seated sadness.

"Fine." Piper shook her head and moved back to the door. "You know I came here thinking you were a young woman who was being completely over protected by her insecure and scared sister, what I've discovered is a kid, whose no more ready for a relationship than I'm ready to be a ballet dance."

"I'm not a kid." Dawn shook her head. "I just want to be with Faith."

"If you're not a kid then stop behaving like one!" Piper retaliated. "Start behaving responsibly."

"How do I do that when no one will let me do anything?" Dawn challenged.

"What do you want them to let you do?" Piper pointed out.

"Make my own choices, make my own mistakes." Dawn offered rather simply. "I know Buffy doesn't want me to go through what she went through with Angel, but I'm not her and Faith isn't Angel."

"So you expect her to agree to you, at seventeen, living with a twenty one year old?" Piper fleshed out what she had realized was Buffy's main problem.

"We're not living together. We're living in the middle of chaos." Dawn shook her head. "I don't like being alone a night, especially with all the attacks. Faith makes me feel safer."

"Have you told Buffy that?" Piper questioned pretty sure she knew the answer already.

"She didn't let me." Dawn shook her head. "She never lets me tell her anything." She turned to the window.

"So if I went and I got her now?" Piper offered.

"Do you think she'd listen?" Dawn put her hand up drawing on the glass.

"We could try couldn't we?" Piper shrugged. "She's worth trying for right?"

"I don't want to make her more upset, she has to fight the First." Dawn sighed.

"Dawn I don't think she can be more upset than she is at the moment, she thinks you hate her." The tall Slayer admitted the concrete fact.

"I don't hate her." Dawn whirled around. "I think she's unreasonable but I don't hate her."

"That alone has got to be worth telling her, right?" Piper tried again.

"Where is she?" Dawn nodded.

"Our room. You coming there or should I go and get her?" Piper motioned to the door.

"No, I'll come there." Dawn went over and brushed her hair.

"Shall I disappear?" Piper held it open for her.

"No, maybe you can keep her from going slayerish." Dawn rubbed her fingers under her eyes.

"I'll see what I can do." The tall Slayer let the brunette walk out first and then followed after her.

-x-

Buffy was sat on the bed absently trying to put enough polish on her relatively new black boots to cover up the large Bringer sized scrape down over the toe.

"Buffy?" Dawn said softly as she leaned against the stair rail.

Buffy looked up seeing her sister stood on the stairs. She put the polish down and then the boots trying to seem natural even when her hands felt icy cold.

"Dawn." She said feeling no emotion come out as she tried not to overreact or fall apart.

"I wanted to talk to you." Dawn frowned lightly when she heard the monotone response.

"Okay." She nodded.

"Piper's here." Dawn moved to the side and let the other Slayer slip into the room.

"Hi." Buffy glanced at her lover.

"Hi baby." Piper smiled softly as she sat down on the bed.

"Buffy I want to talk about Faith." Dawn stood awkwardly in front of them both.

"I'm listening." Buffy nodded a little and then stood up.

"I want to be with her, I want to curl up and sleep beside her at night, she makes me feel safe." Dawn said in one breath. "It's scary at night, with all the attacks and people dying."

Buffy put her hands behind her back grasping one hand over her other fist. She tried to actual listen to Dawn's words but the blood pumping around in her head made it hard to do that.

"I know it's scary right now Dawn but..." She began looking at her younger sister.

"Buffy please." Dawn interrupted her. "You're right it is scary, but that's not the only reason I want to be with Faith, and if it helps I can promise not to, well not to do anything I might regret."

"Dawnie, don't make promises you can't keep, ones you don't want to keep." Buffy shook her head. "I know how hard it makes it when you have to break them."

"But what if I want to make it for you?" Dawn pointed out. "To try and show you that I know what you're worried about."

"Because that promise shouldn't have anything to do with me Dawn." Buffy sat down again and sighed feeling more tired than she had in days. "It's between you and whoever you choose, which by the way I am still not excited about it being Faith." She looked up. "But..." She frowned. "It's your choice."

"You hate me don't you?" Dawn put her head down.

"Dawnie, of course I don't. You're my sister I love you." Buffy shook her head.

"So what? Disappointed, ashamed, come on, tell me." Dawn demanded.

"I'm not, I'm just surprised and well worried." Buffy glanced at Piper.

"About what?" Dawn asked trying to keep calm as she recognised Buffy was too.

"Because you've never talked about any of this, liking girls, liking Faith or wanting to have sex with anyone." Buffy spoke a bit more candidly.

"It's not about wanting sex." Dawn shook her head. "I like how Faith makes me feel."

"Are we talking in a hanging out sorta way or the whole..." She swallowed. "Sex way."

"Hanging out way." Dawn breathed out.

"So she's being nice to you?" Buffy let go of a sigh of relief.

"Really." Dawn nodded. "She wants us to go to the movies and she talks to me."

"Did you replace Faith the sex crazed slayer with a Faith clone?" Buffy managed a soft smile.

"She's different Buffy." Dawn took a little step forward.

"I still worry Dawn, I'm not ever going to stop worrying." Buffy put forward.

"I wouldn't want you to." Dawn admitted. "It's just, you know, I want to be with her, and not in an immediately sexy way. I want to sit on her knee, hold her hand, lean on her shoulder in meetings and have some private moments but not necessarily to do it all in the next second."

Buffy was forced to look at Piper. She tried to make herself understand what she was hearing and not just focus on 'Dawn wanted to sleep with Faith' the most important part was that Dawn didn't want it to be right now. Her sister seemed to want time to have a girlfriend.

"You promise not to let her convince you into anything you're not ready for and totally want to do?" She made the small concession. "Because if she does I'll kill her." She said flatly the threat obviously real

"I promise, if you like we'll..." Dawn tried to think of some concession to give as well. "We'll sleep in the living room downstairs, then we can't do anything." She offered rashly. "But then I get to be with her and feel safe when I sleep."

"I'd appreciate that." Buffy nodded.

"Fine, great." Dawn nodded feeling like she'd made some headway.

"And we'll do our best to respect your..." Buffy took a breath. "Privacy."

"Buffy." Dawn took a deep breath. "It's okay to be scared." She said with a slight smile.

"Scared?" Buffy's shoulders tensed.

"About everything." Dawn nodded. "Piper's with you, we're going to be okay."

"I had a dream with Mom in it the other night." Buffy said suddenly looking at her sister.

"You did?" Dawn's eyes went a little wider. "What did she say?"

"She said she loves you and she misses you." Buffy's voice was soft.

"I love her and miss her too." Dawn took a breath. "Oh Buffy I didn't mean to hurt you, I've not done this because you don't like her." She hurried forward and more or less threw herself on Buffy.

"I know." Buffy caught her and hugged her.

"Do you?" Dawn began crying. "I'm sorry if you thought I hated you."

"I'm sorry too Dawn." Buffy held her closer. "I wish you could have talked to me."

"I should have, I tried, I just didn't know what to say." Dawn nuzzled closer. "And you don't always know how to listen."

"We'll do better Dawn, we just have to try harder.' Buffy nodded.

"We will." Dawn agreed. "Don't be cross at Tara." She added pulling back slightly.

"Tara?" Buffy looked at her not understanding.

"She told me she had come in…" Dawn explained.

"Come in?" Buffy still didn't get what she was talking about.

"When you and Faith were talking." Dawn looked a little unsure for a moment.

"Oh yeah that. Don't worry." Buffy shook her head. "She was worried about you."

"Buffy." Dawn said moving to a more comfortable position. Buffy let her get settled waiting for her to continue. The teenager glanced at Piper and then at her sister. "I just wanted to say, I really like Owl." She gave a small smile.

"So do I Dawn." Buffy gave a short laugh and then looked at the tall Slayer who was beaming.

"Can I go find Faith?" Dawn asked softly. "Tell her the new agreement."

"Go on." Buffy nodded.

"Thank you, I'll have our things on the pull out by after supper." She promised as she moved to the door. "I love you."

"You too." The blonde Slayer smiled at her.

-x-

Dawn came around the side of the building slowly, she had checked everywhere else and short of having left the compound this was the only location she knew that Faith could be. She watched from her slightly guarded location for a moment as the dark Slayer paced back and forth, aggressively puffing on her cigarette.

"Faith." She announced herself coming out around the porch.

"Hey there." Faith stopped and turned glancing in the teenager's direction briefly before returning to her pacing.

"I... Um... I'm sorry about before." She motioned back over her shoulder for some reason as if the arguments of the last few hours were lurking there.

"Weren't exactly a surprise now were they." Faith shook her head. "Get back inside before you sister sees you and bursts something internal."

"I talked to her... Well talked with her again... And we didn't spend our times trying to out scream each other. She's not happy, well she's more than not happy but I told her we would sleep on the pull out in the living room." Dawn took a tentative step closer. "She's okay with that."

"On the what, where?" Faith stopped again and stared at her.

"She's not very cool with the whole having our own room thing, so I suggest that we take the pull out in the living room. That way everyone who is worried can constantly interrupt us." Dawn motioned to the house with a frown. "But at least then I don't have to go to a whole other house."

"D, do you really want all this hassle?" Faith flicked away her cigarette and stood on it.

"You don't?" Dawn's moment of relief and actual happiness was crushed instantly.

"Do I want B constantly watching where I put my hands, what I do, and what I say to you? Do I want to be made to feel like some kind of evil monster trying to force herself on a child?" Faith replied honestly. "Can't say it's up there in my top ten."

"Is that what you feel when you touch me?" Dawn felt her hands ball up at her sides.

"No." Faith admitted with a soft shake of her head. "But it's what they're thinking."

"Faith if I was twenty five and you were twenty eight do you think Buffy would think any different?" Dawn challenged.

"As we're talking about you, and about me, probably not, you're her kid sister, and I'm the anti-Christ." Faith sighed loudly.

"Look if you don't want me then just tell me now." Dawn shook her head moving towards the stairs. "Because I really don't have the confidence to fight for us if you're just going to shoot me down before we start."

"Dawn that's not what I'm saying." Faith shook her head and looked at the youngest Summers. "I want you okay, I really want you." She smiled softly. "I think you are possibly the most beautiful woman I've ever had the chance to have."

A slow slightly embarrassed but ultimately pleased smile spread across Dawn's face.

"Wouldn't you be more worried if Buffy wasn't acting upset?" She questioned carefully.

"Maybe, but I'd get over it." Faith shrugged.

"Faith, she's afraid. She's afraid I'm going to fall in love with you and you're going to hurt me." Dawn moved closer to her.

"I can't promise I'm not gonna do that." Faith pointed out not wanting to lie.

"I know, I can't promise I wouldn't do it to you either." Dawn countered. "But Buffy wants us to skip the middle bit so that I don't even have a chance to live, to experience love, to experience this and I don't want that."

"What do you want?" Faith asked the important question.

"I want to go to the movies, snuggle up at night and feel safe, kiss you, touch you. Have all the things that people who are dating get and maybe if I have to feel what it's like to have my heart broke but no matter what I want to live my life." Dawn spoke honestly.

"Come 'ere." Faith opened one arm. Dawn moved over and hugged her quickly. "So I'm sleeping on a pull out?" She pulled Dawn close shaking her head before resting it against Dawn's.

"Unless you'd rather not sleep beside me. I mean they can't watch us all the time right?" Dawn pulled back with a wicked smile.

"Curb that mind of yours D." Faith smiled at her and leaned in kissing the dark haired woman deeply. Dawn felt her knees go weak as she felt the Slayer's tongue press into her mouth, she'd wanted this all day and it made all the arguing and fighting worth it. Faith held her strongly as she thoroughly explored Dawn's mouth, slowly drawing her tongue back and pulling her lips away. "I'd better go grab my stuff." She smirked loving the glossy look a kiss like that put into the brunette's deep brown eyes.

"We could stay out here for a bit." Dawn slid her arms up around Faith's shoulders.

"We're not being chaperoned out here." Faith pointed out reluctantly.

"Yes, but we're not hiding away either." Dawn made the point back. "Faith I told Buffy I wouldn't 'shack up' with you, I also told her I wasn't going to stop wanting to kiss you or stop kissing you."

"But we could go over to my room and pack my things." Faith winked.

"Okay." The brunette grinned. "This time though I'm locking the door." She remembered Piper's comment and now realized what a good piece of advice it had been.

-x-


	27. Chapter 27

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Twenty Seven.**

By the window looking out into the darkening sky stood Willow, she felt heaviness in her shoulders and a futility in her work. She was trying to continue researching, searching for some spell that would give them what they needed but it just didn't seem to be there.

On top of that their self imposed incarceration within the shield was starting to take a very serious toll on everyone. Everyone was on emotional overload, and like today with Dawn though it was a big issue it had got so blown over into insanity she couldn't help feeling caught up and dragged along by it. Every little mishap was almost the end of the world, every high and every low so magnified.

There was no chance to just be, to exist anymore. Moments were either filled with extreme fear or the imposed illusion they were trying to create that everything was okay.

"Oh sorry, I was looking for Tara." A quiet voice from the doorway apologised breaking the redhead from her momentary depression.

"She's just having a shower." Willow pointed towards the door. "Is there something you need?"

"I just wanted to see if she wanted a walk, Zoë's itching to stretch her legs and I had this crazy idea that it might be nice to you know go as a small group." Beth explained the reason she had come over from the other house.

"She shouldn't be too long, I'm sure she'd love too." The redhead nodded.

"You were invited of course." Beth smiled.

"We could pretend like we can go further than the fence." Willow tried to be enthusiastic.

"Yes, and maybe sit on the grass, watch the stars." Beth added trying to the optimism.

"Tara and I love star watching." Willow gave a soft smile.

"Zoë and I do as well." Beth nodded.

"To bad the movie theatre is closed we could go on a double date." She laughed lightly.

"That would be nice." Beth agreed. "Maybe afterwards."

"Definitely." Willow nodded feeling the pressure again of what they were facing.

"Maybe we should make it a couple walk." Beth offered. "You know invite all the couples." She laughed softly.

"Couples night." Willow laughed with her. "Though we can't have prejudice against the singles."

"When it's over then we can have a couples night to the movies with all the singles at home having single fun." She tried a compromise.

"Are you and Zoë going to stay in Sunnydale when this is over?" Willow asked without really thinking about the question.

"I doubt it." Beth shook her head. "We need to think about the future, and I can honestly say, I can't imagine one here."

"It's a bit crazy." Willow sat down on the bed.

"It's more that neither of us actually belong here." Bethany pointed out with a smile.

"You might not have been here before, but you're more than welcome. Beth anyone who can accept a Hellmouth and vampires and such, on top of witchcraft belongs here more than she knows." Willow smiled back. "Zoë's very lucky to have you."

"I have my bad side." Beth smiled softly, she leaned more on the door

"We all have our bad sides." Willow nodded knowingly.

"I'll go and tell Zoë that we're on for star watching." Beth pointed to the hall.

"As soon as Tara is done we'll come join you." Willow agreed and watched as Beth smiled again and then slipped out. She sat on the bed a few moments longer before she heard the shower turn off. "Tara?" She opened the door to the bathroom slowly and poked her head around it.

"Hey sweetie." Tara smiled gently. "Come in."

"We have an invitation to go walking and star gazing with Zoë and Bethany." Willow pushed in closing the door behind her.

"That sounds nice." Tara tucked the pale blue towel in between her breasts.

"I thought so." Willow nodded though her eyes roamed downwards.

"What's wrong baby?" Tara stepped out of the bath pulling the shower door back fully.

"I'm just having a sad mood moment." Willow shrugged. "Feeling like we're not getting anywhere."

"Oh love." Tara reached out rubbing her lover's arm. "We are getting somewhere."

"I know, I know we are... I just... I wish we knew how to beat it." The redhead sighed.

"In essence we do." Tara pointed out. "We just have one missing link."

"I know, and I want that link." She looked into blue eyes.

"We'll get it." Tara vowed gently and moved to guide Willow into her arms.

"We have to." Willow nodded huddling against her lover, the physical contact soothing her worried soul.

"We will." Tara repeated as she rubbed the redhead's back.

-x-

"Willow." Tara hurried down the stairs, checking in the kitchen for her missing lover first. "Willow! Giles, Sandra, where's Willow?" She skidded to a halt in the dining room doorway looking at the two of them.

The two Watchers glanced at each other with gentle shrugs.

"I have to find her." Tara frowned. "That spell you found Mr. Giles." She looked at him. "I think it'll work." She blinked wide blue eyes at him. "Didn't she tell you where she was going?" She moved to the front door and pushed her feet into a pair of her lover's clogs that were by the door. She didn't even notice they were two sizes two small.

"I think she said something about dolphins, or... Tara you know how she babbles. Do you really think the spell will work?" Giles followed her.

"I need Willow." Tara pulled the door open and stepped out into the cool morning air.

-x-

Willow laughed almost feeling her sides split as she and Dawn did their dolphin speech impressions for Faith. The dark Slayer was giving them both what could only be described as the 'you're both insane' look.

"Willow?" The front door flew open and Tara sprinted in.

"Tara, what's wrong?" Willow sat up her mood sobering immediately.

"I think we have it." She pushed her hand into her jean pocket and pulled out a piece of folded notepaper.

"Have it?" Willow took the paper and began reading. "Oh my Goddess, where did you find this?" She stood up.

"I didn't." Tara shook her head. "Mr. Giles did, well he found the base spell, I just, mystified it as it were." She twiddled her fingers in the air. "Made it mystical friendly rather than just generic reproduction." She added smiling at Faith who was looking at her as if she had joined the insane crew.

"I think it will work." The redhead moved over and hugged her girlfriend.

"I thought we should try it." Tara nodded.

"Can we try it? Will that not use up the mystic?" Willow looked at her.

"No, no, at least I don't think so." Tara shook her head.

"What do you have?" Dawn questioned when they didn't readily give any identifying information.

"You see I think we can create a prototype." Tara pointed out a line in the spell to the other witch still oblivious to everyone else's questions. "See."

"Cool, we can make one for a short duration as a trial." Willow nodded.

"Will someone answer D already?" Faith encouraged them.

"We've found a way to replicate the staff." Willow announced joyfully.

"For real?" Faith pushed up her eyes bright.

"For real." Willow grinned at the dark Slayer.

"We're gonna kill the First." Dawn grinned clapping her hands together once.

"Wooo fucking hooo." Faith yelled grabbing Dawn and spinning her around. Dawn laughed as she was spun, hanging onto Faith without a care in the world.

"We have to attempt the prototype, to make sure we can." Tara smiled at the display between the two of them.

"What do you need?" Dawn leaned into Faith even after the dark Slayer had put her down.

"Nothing really, that is nothing that we don't have, right Will." Tara blinked at her lover.

"Right baby." Willow put her arm around Tara's waist. "You guys should get Buffy and Piper and we'll go get what we need."

"I think my Dizzy can do that." Faith tickled the younger woman's ribs.

"Faith." Dawn squealed and giggled causing Willow to look at Tara raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry." Faith winked. "Dawn's got that covered." She grinned brightly. "You go work your mojo, where do you want us?"

"Back yard?" Willow looked to her lover.

"In about ten." Tara nodded. "Oh and we need the staff." She grinned as they turned to leave.

"You called me Dizzy by accident." Dawn teased when they had left dabbing Faith's nose with her finger.

"Oops." Faith pulled Dawn to her and held her lightly. "Sorry hun." She winked.

"That's okay baby." Dawn teased back hugging her. "Anything is allowed when we've just found out we've found a way to win."

"So you ready for this nightmare to be over?" Faith asked loosening her grip lightly.

"Completely." The brunette nodded.

"You gonna get Buffy and Piper?" Faith quickly kissed the brunette on the cheek, then headed off towards where she knew the staff was.

"Yeah, you'll get the staff?' Dawn smiled under the soft affection.

"Yup." Faith nodded walking back towards the other house.

"See you in the backyard." Dawn moved towards the third house.

"Hey Babe." Faith called when Dawn had turned.

"Yeah?"

"You looked beautiful this morning." Faith winked and grinned

"Thank you." Dawn grinned immediately reaching up to flick her hair over her shoulder as she almost floated across the grass.

-x-

"Tomorrow." Buffy walked into the large house and looked around at everyone who was gathered there. The entire three households were all squished into the living room waiting impatiently for the reason they'd been all called. "We do this tomorrow." She glanced over her shoulder as Piper, carrying the staff moved in after her, with Faith and the Spellcasters behind her. Zoë felt Beth's hand hold hers a bit tighter as they moved in and sat down in an empty patch of carpet.

As soon as Buffy had seen and had it confirmed that Willow and Tara could make a prototype of the staff, she'd gone herself to all the houses to call everyone to the meeting. She hadn't even waited for them to finish cleaning up the spell.

"Tomorrow? Buffy I..." Giles sat up a little straighter. "We've just managed to create a prototype, we have to go over the spells, the positions…"

The blonde Slayer held up her hand and his words came to a premature halt.

"Tomorrow." She said again. "Anyone who doesn't think they're ready, or just doesn't want to join the fight, can stay here." She looked around at the gathering.

"We'll have the super stakes right?" Kennedy asked smacking her hands together to show she was ready.

"Yes." Tara nodded sliding her hand into Willow's. "We've extended the spell time to forty three minutes."

"Time to kick ass." Jo nodded Kennedy's sentiment.

"The short term key now is focus and rest and then preparation." Buffy rallied.

"We're going to use the Summers house as main base." Sandra joined in the organisation patter. "Andrew, Xander, Anya, Beth and Dawn will be there." She glanced around at those she mentioned.

"Perfect, I want to be far away from the carnage." Anya nodded her approval.

"Anyone wanting to stay with them can do so." Faith stepped forward and looked around. "Don't see it as wimping out, I'm being dead serious here girls." She looked hard at them. "We're not playing at war games here." She swallowed. "This is it, the real thing."

"Anyone still hurt shouldn't go either." Dawn added softer.

"Meaning me eh?" Georgia smiled from her place.

"Exactly George, you're not going anywhere." Jo moved over and rubbed the injured girl's her shoulder.

"I still get a super stake right?" She smiled hopefully.

"If we can make enough yeah, we want to have some protection here." Willow nodded.

"There will be protection here." Tara nodded glancing quickly at Dawn with a soft smile.

Faith caught the look, not knowing what it was about but almost sure she didn't like it.

"Right people, back to staking dummies." Piper clapped her hands together. "Lets get a central store of equipment sorted and for fun everyone can pick their fight outfits." She grinned.

"Remember this is not a fashion show, so practical shoes but we don't have to go ugly." Buffy smiled at them all.

"Move people." Faith clapped her hands repeatedly grinning as the SITs scrambled up and started milling around chattering.

"Buffy." Giles called for the blonde Slayer's attention. She moved back to the Watcher. "One small detail." He raised an eyebrow.

"What?' She questioned.

"The First." He replied. "Has anybody invited it to this little showdown?"

"I was working on that." Buffy nodded. "Faith has an idea."

"Really?" The Watcher arched his eyebrow.

"She thinks she has a way to get its attention." Buffy smiled. "Think Faith Giles, and think her having an idea. We might need to rebuild half the town but I think it will work."

"So we're really going to do this?" Giles took a breath.

"We have to, this is our shot." The Slayer nodded. "Are you ready?"

"I'm ready to be part of the support system to the bravest group of young women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing." Giles nodded smiling softly.

"I'm trusting you to keep Zoë alive for us to get this done, you might have the hardest job." She frowned thinking of the sacrifice the Canadian was making.

"She believes she can severe the link in time Buffy." Giles put forward the hope he was adhering to.

"Then we have to believe in her so she doesn't doubt herself." Buffy nodded firmly. "Tara said Faith and I have to do some prep with her and Willow, so we might be busy for a bit."

"I think Beth had a special meal planned for this evening." Giles nodded understanding.

"We'll be there, the potentials need a solid night without anyone going missing." Buffy agreed that she understood.

"Buffy." Giles took another breath. "You must know how proud I am of you."

"We don't have to have the end of the world speech Giles, this isn't it." Buffy smiled at him. "You be careful up there okay?"

"I've been a foolish old man at times during this Buffy and ... and I'm sorry." He looked down a little.

"I wasn't at my best all the time either." Buffy leaned forward and hugged him. "Be safe tomorrow."

"And you." He patted her back.

-x-

Sandra hung in the doorway of the study, listening for a moment to the soft jazz melody that accompany the plumes of thick pipe smoke that spilled up around the other Watcher's head as he seemed to leisurely read through the book he had in his lap.

"Just a normal evening in." She commented softly.

"Hardly, but there is only so many ways to face an apocalypse." Giles put down his pipe and book then smiled at the other Watcher.

"How many is this for you now?" Sandra came in leaning against the desk.

"I think I've given up counting." He sighed softly. "You'll get used to them."

"You do realise that when this is over, when the Slayers have won we will have much to talk about. The Council must be rebuilt." She tried to be positive as she reached up pulling off the smart blazer she wore and undid the top two buttons on her silk blouse.

"I certainly hope you're not looking at me for that role." Giles laughed softly. "There is much to be done here, a new slayer to train." He watched her with soft, yet interested eyes.

"There is, but Rupert for all that we know we are the only two left." Sandra reached down slipping off her flat shoes. "Which would mean it is our duty to rebuild it together, there is no reason we can't do that from here. London has too many memories."

"Here?" The older Watcher arched an eyebrow. "I suppose we could." He seemed to really contemplate it for a long moment.

"You're testing Owl must have convinced you of her intention to stay with Buffy."

Sandra walked over slowly.

"Yes, it has." Giles nodded. "And though it almost pains me to say, she may be exactly what Buffy needs." He watched her approach.

"I've read your notes, Owl is exactly what she needs. Someone to understand her, someone to challenge her, to need her and to be needed in return." Sandra nodded reaching up to undo another button. "Buffy cannot survive as the island she attempts to be, it was destroying her."

"So you came and interrupted my reading to discuss the future?" Giles swallowed feeling his temperature notch up a little as he shifted in his chair.

"We've been avoiding the discussion, I wanted the preliminaries out of the way."

She reached over to her hip undoing the button and then the zipper letting the skirt she was wearing drop away so she could step out of it.

"Well yes er..." Giles coughed as he watched the skirt fall.

"Should I leave you to read your book?" She questioned standing before him in only the matching white silk panties, bra and open silk shirt.

"No, no." Giles shook his head. "I suppose I could be the new head man." He loosened his tie. "Owl may be better learning skill off…" He was forced to clear his throat again. "Off Buffy, with you…" He made a vague gesture towards Sandra. "Handling the lore side of..." Giles didn't finish his sentence, instead he pushed up out of the chair pulling the other Watcher to him and kissing her deeply.

-x-

"So I lose you early in the morning eh? Did I hear right when Willow said she wanted to start the marking ceremony at six?" Owl pulled back the cotton bed sheet ready for Buffy who was just brushing her teeth in the bathroom.

It felt so odd, everything had been what had come to be 'normal' so far They'd shared a shower done a quick joint meditation and then come to bed. There hadn't even been a mention of the possible 'end of the world' that lay less than a day away.

"Yes unfortunately, I don't know why but witchy stuff needs to be done early in the morning." Buffy came in brushing her teeth and smiling.

"So what's the tat you're getting?" Piper asked.

"An axe head." Buffy explained putting down the brush. "It's to bind Willow and I to our copy of the staff. You get the original." She pulled off her robe, pulling on a long T-shirt. "Faith has daggers or something."

"Wow I'm the lucky one." Owl grinned. "Not in the mood eh?" She nodded to the long T-shirt that Buffy was smoothing over her thighs pulling the sheet a bit further back to reveal her naked state.

"Oh." Buffy looked and then her mouth curled up into a wide smile. "No, I was thinking about the spell." She moved over to the bed and pulled the shirt off. "Like a T-shirt would stop you." She teased slipping in.

"It might." Owl flicked the sheet back over Buffy. "How you doing?" She asked softly, offering her chest as a pillow.

"Mmmm trying not to think about it, but finding it's all I am thinking about." Buffy moved over settling into the familiar position. "You?"

"I'm kinda, you know, peppy." She tried a word that she'd never used before.

"Pre apocalyptic buzz." Buffy nodded softly.

"Oh is that what it is, something I'm gonna get used to huh?" Piper chuckled softly drawing her fingertips over Buffy's arm.

"I'd like to say this is the one and only apocalypse but in my experience no." Buffy closed her eyes.

"Hey apocalypses can be dealt with." Owl reasoned. "Together." She added with a soft smile.

"Tomorrow's going to be chaos." Buffy turned her head up sliding over so she was sitting across Owl's hips hovering above her.

"Yeah I kinda figured that." The newest Slayer nodded. "But hey, I'm reckoning the hardest parts going to be not being able to touch you 'till its all over." She pointed out.

"I don't like that either." Buffy shook her head. "But we have till the morning."

"Yeah but we need to have all the strength and energy we can get to face the promise of the new day." Owl pointed out.

"I know." Buffy leaned down a bit, resting her light frame over Piper's. "Though I want to spend the night touching you." Her voice was soft.

"So what do you thinks going to happen to the property market here in Sunnydale when all this is over?" Piper threw in the distinctly odd query as she ran her hands over Buffy's legs, just to see if she could sidetrack the other Slayer's thoughts.

"You'd be surprised how apparently smoothly everyone will move back in like nothing happened. I'm sure it will go down though." Buffy mused. "There's a lot to rebuild and fix."

"Wow, you really are the thinking slayer huh." She teased softly. "But hey, maybe that was my way of asking you to live with me after all this craziness is done." She added in a soft voice.

"Live with you?" Buffy's head came up with her voice a bit surprised but probably not for the reasons Owl thought. "You're not going to stay here?" She glanced at the bed.

"Well yeah sure, I mean if you like I just..." She stopped. "Sorry forget it, I wasn't thinking." She shook her head.

"No, you just what Owl?" Buffy urged her to finish.

"I was just thinking new starts." Piper explained. "You've buried people here baby, you've seen death and destruction in these four walls over and over." She explained more. "I was thinking something maybe smaller. Two bedrooms, one for you and me, the other for Dawn. Maybe a basement to work out in, a big garage for your jeep and my bike."

"You mean a place that was ours?" Buffy questioned softly.

"Yeah." Piper reflected that was what she was suggesting though the tone she used proved that it was only at that second that the Slayer had realised that that was exactly what she was proposing.

"Are you sure?" The blonde heard the slightly conflicted tone.

"I'm sure I want you to be happy, and I'm pretty positive you can't put this shit behind you here. So yeah, I'm sure." Piper reasoned.

"I'd have to talk to Dawn, this is her house too." Buffy admitted. "But yes." She nodded leaning in to kiss her.

Piper wound her arms around Buffy's back and held her close as their kisses lingered.

"I love you." Buffy whispered when the kiss broke for a moment.

"I love you too." Piper agreed. "So you going to snuggle in and sleep on top of me?" She asked gently.

"Am I too heavy?" She questioned.

"You never are." Piper shook her head.

"Mmmm then yes, I want to be close to you." She snuggled in closing her eyes.

"Sleep well." Piper pressed her lips to Buffy's head.

"Are you sure we have to sleep the whole night?" Buffy kissed the flesh near her lips with a grin.

-x-

Zoë knew was supposed to be trying to sleep, after all she was going to need all of her strength the next day.

'The next day.' She felt herself shiver at the idea. The next day wasn't a day at all, it was "The Day", the day that depended on her doing this spell and as time ticked down she was starting to doubt herself.

"You're supposed to be asleep." Beth's soft voice called gently.

"Whirling mind, I can't sleep." Zoë turned in to her lover opening her eyes. "And hey you're supposed to be asleep too."

"I know but then I thought, I'm wasting time sleeping when I could be looking at you, touching you." Beth admitted turning onto her side and playing with a strand of Zoë's hair.

"So why would I waste time thinking about tomorrow when I could be doing the same thing." She reached under the covers, putting her arm around Beth's body and slid herself closer.

"Don't doubt yourself." Bethany whispered as she drew up close to Zoë's body.

"But what if I fail?" Zoë admitted her voice scared.

"You won't." Beth shook her head placing her finger on her lover's cheek.

"I wish you could be there with me, but it's not safe enough." Zoë closed her eyes concentrating on the soft touch.

"I'll be right here, with home made lemonade to come back to." Beth smiled continuing the motion.

"You spoil me." Zoë opened her eyes smiling.

"No, but I will." Beth smiled more.

"It's selfish but I'm so glad you're here with me." Zoë leaned and kissed her lightly.

"Me too." The English woman's voice was like honey.

"Since we can't sleep what did you want to do?" The Canadian smiled.

"We could..." Beth thought for a moment. "Take a bath?"

"Mmmm that would be nice." Zoë nodded with a brighter smile.

"A subtle way to get you naked." Beth admitted with a smirk.

"And wet." Zoë added wiggling her eyebrows.

"My thoughts exactly." Beth winked and began to get out of bed.

-x-

"Where shall we do it?" Tara drew the pestle around the clay mortar and turned to look at Willow who was laid on her stomach on the bed, tapping away on her laptop.

"Basement?" Willow didn't look up as she continued to type.

"So you want to marry me in the basement, not the most romantic of places." She chuckled softly.

"What?" Willow looked up blinking. "The spell in the basement. I thought you were asking about the spell."

"I guessed." Tara smiled now that she had her lover's attention.

"Where would you like to have it?" Willow smiled back.

"The basement is fine." Tara teased.

"No, of course not. I want it somewhere beautiful, outdoors, the beach?" She moved off the bed and sat down behind Tara.

"The beach would be nice, or maybe the woods." Tara nodded leaning her head back.

"Mmmm the woods would be lovely, up north in the spring." Willow leaned her arms around her lover.

"And what about honeymoon." Tara put down the pestle and mortar, she then put her hands over Willow's.

"We could have a cabin rented, just you and me and the wild." She kissed Tara's neck.

"Mmmm where?" Tara purred softly.

"I'm sure Zoë must know some nice places in Canada." Willow offered kissing her again.

"We could do some of the Rockies." Tara nodded smiling more under the kisses.

"Perfect." Willow hugged her close breathing in and enjoying the smell of her lover's hair.

"How are you feeling?" Tara asked softly.

"Mmmmmm nervous." Willow admitted. "How about you?'

"Return of the many flying bats in the tummy." Tara nodded in agreement.

"I can't believe this ends tomorrow." Willow reached one hand around to rub Tara's stomach.

"It needs to, too much has gone on, this needs to end." Tara said her voice solemn and serious.

"I still sometimes can't believe you're back." Willow admitted in a whisper.

"I had to go." Tara frowned softly.

"No, no, not that baby." Willow soothed her. "That you're alive, that I hadn't lost you, lost the chance to love you."

"I..." Tara stopped and turned. "We're both so different now." She curled her lover's hair behind her ear.

"One thing is the same, I love you." Willow smiled at her.

"Even that's different." Tara shook her head but she smiled too.

"What do you mean?" Willow questioned not understanding.

"It's stronger now, I'm stronger, so are you." Tara pointed out.

"And nothing is going to tear us apart again." Willow vowed.

"We can do this." Tara looked at the redhead not blinking.

"We can." The redhead nodded.

"We should sleep." Tara took a soft breath and leaned in to kiss her lover's forehead.

"We should, we need lots of strength for the spell." Willow breathed in feeling the warmth of the kiss.

"Can I book a long slow session of making love after this is all over?" Tara whispered.

"For a week, no interruptions." Willow made the agreement without hesitation.

"A week." Tara beamed.

"Okay two." Willow grinned and kissed her again as Tara laughed louder.

"Come on you, bed." She dabbed her nose.

"Yes my love." Willow smiled. "But you have to come too."

"I'm coming." Tara giggled as they raced to get under the covers.

-x-

Dawn sat on the porch watching as Faith went through the series of moves again. They'd been out here for a little while already, her attempting to skim through a book she had no interest in as the dark Slayer tried to work out the growing tension in her body as she got ready for the coming fight.

"Faith, it's getting late." She pointed out trying to be subtle.

"You're right, you should go in, can't have you catching a chill or anything." Faith stopped and looked up to the sky, before turning and looking at Dawn.

"But I want you to come with." Dawn stood up motioning to the house.

"I'm not sleepy Diz." Faith admitted swinging her arms back and forth as she walked over.

"I know, but you have to get some sleep, you need your strength." Dawn watched her. Faith took a deep breath and looked at the tall brunette.

"Okay." She sighed softly and reached out taking Dawn's hand. "Take me to bed." She laughed softly.

"Mmmm okay." Dawn grinned and led her into the quiet house.

When they reached the living room she moved Faith to stand near the bed and bent down to undo the Slayer's boots.

"Hey, hey you don't have to do that." Faith frowned softly.

"I know I don't have to, I want too." Dawn continued to work, taking them off and moving them over under the chair. She slowly slid up Faith's body her hands going to the heavy leather belt around the Slayer's waist, which she began to undo.

"Is this allowed?" Faith glanced over her shoulder at Andrew who was supposedly 'watching' over them on the couch. The geek was sound asleep.

"I'm just helping you get ready for bed." Dawn whispered unlooping the leather and then pulling the zipper down. "How could that not be allowed?" She began to guide the leather down Faith's hips.

"The fact that every time your fingers touch skin or your breath breezes over me, you start a fire inside." Faith breathed out.

"Me too." Dawn admitted her voice thick as she moved her hand back to her own pants and slipped them off.

Faith watched every move the young woman made, licking her lips as long shapely legs were slowly revealed.

"Let me find you some sleep shorts." She coughed trying to make her dry throat work.

"I don't want any." Dawn shook her head pulling off her T-shirt to reveal the small tank top she was wearing to match the small panties.

"T-shirt?" Faith cleared her throat again but her voice still cracked a little.

"No, it's sorta warm tonight." Dawn shook her head moving around the bed to slip in with onto the skimpy tank and underwear on.

Faith pulled off her own top rummaging in the pile next to the bed for a T-shirt to slip on after she'd removed the tight bra she'd been wearing all day.

"You don't have to wear one." Dawn patted the bed.

"I can't sleep in one of those." Faith slid beneath the covers looking at Dawn, she slowly unhooked the confining barrier and breathed a relieved sigh. She let it drop off the edge of the pull out leaving the sheet up to cover her.

"I know... I was hoping you wouldn't..." Dawn slid closer to her. "Wear anything."

"They miss you." Faith invited Dawn to her favourite resting place.

"I've missed them." Dawn knew that Faith expected her to just rest against them but instead she lowered her lips to the closest swell of flesh.

"Dawn." Faith breathed in and arched up.

"You need to relax before you can sleep, I know you." Dawn kissed lower, her lips touching lightly to the Slayer's nipple.

"But..." Faith stopped and had to moan in pleasure. "Oh God Dawn." The dark haired Slayer moved her hand over soft brown hair.

"You have to be quiet." Dawn urged her softly as she pressed her lips down again.

"Quiet." Faith nodded and bit her lip as the dark peak tightened.

"I want you to feel good." Dawn tentatively moved her tongue out against Faith's flesh.

"I never thought I'd say this, but just having you with me makes me feel good." Faith admitted writhing a little on the mattress.

"Mmmm I know." Dawn slid her legs together, she could hardly believe how touching Faith was making her so excited but she tried to keep herself focused, this wasn't supposed to be about her.

"Don't do anything you don't want to." Faith warned her softly her dark eyes flaring wide as a flare of desire flashed through her.

"I know and I'm not going to." Dawn assured her confidently. "All I want to do is make you feel good so you can sleep." She closed her lips and sucked lightly.

"I have to be out of here by six." Faith warned Dawn of the early start.

"Lots of time." Dawn smiled and moved her lips to suck even harder.

"Mmmmm." Faith groaned quietly. "D hun you're making me..." She didn't finish her hips moving side to side on the mattress.

Dawn was too busy being excited by the very fact that Faith's body was responding to her to really listen. She pressed her mouth in closer, sucking harder. The sway in Faith's hips turned into more of a roll. The dark Slayer moaned again and then eased her own hand down to cup over the dark strip of cotton between her legs knowing she had to do something about the ache. Dawn reached her hand over, rubbing up and down Faith's arm.

"See there are things we can do." She licked her tongue around the wet nipple in front of her. "No line crossing."

"Yes, yes there are." Faith agreed easily, this felt to good to deny as she let her fingers began rubbing the cotton, pressing it into her own wetness.

The brunette let her hand stray down further, rubbing over Faith's wrist and the back of her hand but she didn't press any lower. She concentrated instead on what her lips were doing as she tried to figure out ever touch she could use that would bring Faith pleasure.

"Oh yes D." Faith's eyes closed as she felt herself getting wetter as her body heated up.

"Am I doing okay?" Dawn checked her voice thick and breathy as she pulled her lips back for a minute.

"Perfect Dawn." Faith nodded. "A little harder."

"I don't want to hurt you." Dawn explained her reasoning as she licking her tongue around Faith's nipple again before she closed her lips applying more pressure.

"Mmmm whatever you're doing feels good." Faith encouraged her. "When I said you weren't like anyone I've ever had before Dawn, I meant it. Just touch me how you want to, that's what I want." Dawn smiled at the assuring words, slowly she started to suck harder, feeling the flesh she teased straining under the pressure. "There you go..." Faith moved her fingers around the cotton barrier to touch herself, teasing her already hard clit.

Dawn nodded pressing her body closer as she felt Faith's hips moving.

"Oh Yessss." Faith breathed out, sliding her hand free she slipped it around Dawn's body, pressing wet fingers along the waistband of Dawn's tight shorts pulling her close.

Dawn pressed against her immediately, pushing her leg up against Faith's wet centre. She pulled back her lips panting before she moved to suck on the Slayer's other nipple. Faith groaned again as she felt the tightness and direct pressure of Dawn's leg. She could hardly believe that doing this was driving her as wild as it was.

"I want to be with you, but I don't want to be with you because of some stupid First." Dawn pulled her lips back, breathing hard as she looked into dark eyes.

"After, after this is over." Using the hand stroking Dawn's hair to cup her chin Faith breathed heavy. "We'll date." She rocked and rolled her hips. "We'll see where we get." She groaned.

"I want to feel good tonight." Dawn pressed her knee higher, moving her hand to where her lips had been.

"Do you feel good right now?" Faith asked trying to keep a reign on her escalating build up.

"I feel like the other night, when I..." She blushed lightly.

"You climaxed." Faith whispered. "You don't have to blush, you were beautiful."

"Can you? With me doing this?" Dawn looked down watching her fingers as they massaged Faith's breast.

"Yes." Faith nodded. "You?" She had no concept why she was checking how the other person in bed with her was doing. Her past sexual partners had not been a consideration but with Dawn it mattered. It mattered more than she did and she pushed down the panic that caused inside her.

"Mmmmmm..." Dawn breathing was staggered. "I think so. You feel so good."

"Here." Faith gently decided to introduce an idea. "Split your legs." She slid her leg up the instant Dawn's parted hers a little, so that her leg rested where Dawn's did against her body.

"Ohhhh God Faith." Dawn's leg shot up closer as she rocked down against Faith's leg.

"Quietly baby." Faith urged trying hard not to gasp herself.

"How can I be quiet?" Dawn moaned as her fingers closed tighter around Faith's nipple.

"I don't know." Faith admitted as she gripped Dawn tighter to her focusing on their rocking and the pressure building up between them. Dawn buried her face into Faith's neck as she groaned her hips moving faster. Cupping the back of Dawn's head with her other hand Faith slowed them down a little, trying to keep the couch from squeaking under them. "Yes baby, yes, yes." She whispered as the constant pace made her arch.

"Faith, oh God please." Dawn reached down fumbling for Faith's hand and dragged it up to her breast.

"Okay baby." Faith hurried to hold Dawn's breast her thumb rubbing over the hard nipple through the cotton.

"What do you need?" Dawn looked up at her trying to get her volume issues under control as she arched into Faith's hands.

"Just you." Faith assured her, feeling her own climax just aching to be released.

"I'm here, I'm here Faith." Dawn panted arcing into her, not even thinking about her own motion drove her leg up against Faith's body.

"I know, ooh fuck D, I know." Faith's hips bucked up harder.

"You swore." Dawn groaned as she leaned up licking her tongue over Faith's lips. "God do it again."

"Fuck D, you are amazing." Faith just pumped her hips over and over against Dawn's leg as she let her orgasm envelope her. "Oh goood Goddd fuck me." She panted harder. Dawn felt her own orgasm beginning to ripple through her body and she pressed her mouth to Faith's neck trying to muffle the scream. "Let go D I want to feel you, hear you cum." Faith growled breathlessly as her body jerked and danced beneath the younger woman.

"But... noise." Dawn groaned against Faith's skin.

"Fuck it." Faith hissed. "We're saving the fucking world tomorrow."

"Faithhhh." Dawn's body went taunt as she arched into the Slayer, her voice calling out.

"God yes!" Faith held her tightly, stabilising her as she bucked in her tight arch.

Dawn's move was hard for a few more moments before she loosened collapsing against the Slayer.

"Wh-Wh-What's going on?" Andrew groggily pushed up from his place on the other couch.

"Nightmare." Faith panted rubbing Dawn's back as the younger woman lay on top of her panting and sweating. "Look she's still clothed." She pointed out.

"I was having a good dream, you interrupted." He turned over grumpily.

"You're amazing Dizzy." Faith continued to rub Dawn's back over and over, she leaned down and kissed her.

"I want to hear you too." The brunette pressed her knee up.

"Dawn." Faith growled in warning. "I don't do quiet well, and I came, believe me."

"I don't care about sound either." Dawn rocked her knee.

Faith growled again but this time in arousal, her orgasm having not fully broken had built up again instantly as she heard Dawn climax. Dawn dipped her mouth, sucking on Faith's neck hard knowing she would leave a mark. Faith growled a again a little louder, completely aroused by the brash confidence Dawn was displaying. The brunette couldn't believe how good this felt as she moved against Faith's body, desperately needing to hear her girlfriend crying out, something, anything that would confirm to her how earth shattering this was. Faith closed her eyes focusing, the build- up rapid and hard.

"Dawn, this isn't going to be quiet." She warned, her breath catching.

"I don't care." Dawn pleaded feeling her own body nearing release again.

"Kiss me." Faith growled. Dawn pulled her lips up meshing them over Faith's almost instantly. Faith forcefully thrust her tongue into Dawn's mouth consumed by desire for the other woman. Dawn started to suck on it immediately making Faith's body arch and forcing her to pull away.

"FUCK ME…." She managed the mumbled scream before she just cried out, her hand slammed out and smacked hard on the mattress as her body went taunt.

"God Faith." Dawn watched her amazed. Faith let hard long ripples race through her body, as her muscles flexed and relaxed embracing the erotic feelings. "You're so sexy." Dawn snuggled close to her feeling the reverberations.

"And you are simply breathtaking." Faith panted for a few moments and then ran her hand over Dawn's slightly damp long hair.

"It's our last night on earth tell her to stop having nightmares." Andrew's sleepy voice protested as he pulled the covers up over his head.

"We should sleep." Faith encouraged.

"Mmmm okay." Dawn curled into Faith's body not wanting to go far.

"Sleep angel." Faith kissed her head softly.

"You too." Dawn breathed out exhausted.

"I will." Faith felt her body give a soft residual shudder.

-x-

"Hey, hey piggy eyes." Anya hissed into Xander's ear, leaning across the bed in the pitch-black bedroom.

"An... honey what are you going on about?" Xander blinked trying to adjust to the dark.

"You, I'm talking to you, seeing if you're awake." She replied leaning back.

"You pinched me of course I'm awake." Xander rubbed his arm.

"Well yes but sometimes that doesn't work, I've had to hit you with the alarm clock before now." Anya scolded.

"What's wrong An?' Xander assured her that he was awake.

"I think we should have sex." Anya pointed out turning on the bedside lamp

"Now?' Xander swallowed as his eyes adjusted to the dark.

"Yes." Anya pushed the satin strap off her shoulder.

"You're in the mood even though we're fighting the First tomorrow?' He watched her grinning as his body betrayed him.

"Yes." Anya nodded. "It worked last time." She pulled the satin free of her body.

"Oh you mean like superstition." Xander moved to pull off his pj pants.

"Well yes," Anya nodded. "That and I want you."

"I want you too." He moved over to her, leaning to kiss her.

"Well that's good, so we can then, yes?" Anya blinked up at him.

"Yes Anya." He kissed her quickly.

"I'm beginning to forgive you." She admitted as she broke the kiss encouraging him up over her.

"I love you." He whispered bracing up when he felt her legs circling around him.

"I love you too." Anya admitted. "But I'm only telling you that because you might die and no one else can hear."

"You're so cute." He smiled at her leaning to kiss her neck.

"I am not cute, I am attractive, sexy and surprisingly youthful." Anya tipped her head back and flattened her hips.

"Yes, all of those things." Xander assured her.

"But not enough to marry." Anya pointed out.

"I didn't not marry you because you aren't those thing Anya, I didn't marry you because you are too precious to hurt. I didn't want you to find yourself hating me in twenty years." Xander tried to explain.

"But you don't get to choose what I do." Anya pointed out. "We should have talked." She frowned but rubbed her fingers up and down Xander's spine.

"I know, it was stupid of me." Xander shivered and pressed closer to her.

"So you're sorry?" Anya checked her hands now stroking over Xander's ass.

"Oh God, yes Anya." Xander groaned.

"So maybe when Buffy saves the world again we can live together?" She pressed her hips up a little.

"I would like that." Xander pressed against her kissing more of her throat. "Do I need protection?" He asked huskily.

"Do we want little Anya's?" Anya replied.

"Do you?" Xander felt his arousal threatening to diminish.

"I'm still on the pill Xander." Anya scowled. "And there are some in the bedside table." She kissed him again.

"Mmm okay." Xander kissed her back remembering everything about her that he loved.

"Remember tomorrow, no being a hero, Buffy's leaving us here because it's dangerous we have to respect that." She stroked her hands over his back again.

"I don't want to think about tomorrow right now. I want to think about how beautiful you are." Xander kissed her again.

-x-

She knew where the wires were, but that didn't mean it was easy to clear them, especially in the darkness. She had been watching as the peroxide vampire had paced round the front of the houses and moved to the back, making her way clear. That's when she had slipped out, and as she eased over the last wire, she stepped out onto the main path. Glancing from left to right the slim figure began a soft jog down the sidewalk.

Spike's head poked around the side of the house, throwing down his cigarette as he watched her get to the end of the street.

"Out for a bit of nookie are we darling." He moved over and carefully dodging the trip wire began to follow her.

Moving down the empty streets was itself a little unnerving. With not even birds singing in the trees, or foxes and cats running across the streets, Sunnydale already felt dead. Deserted and lifeless, ready for the end.

But that's exactly what she was here to stop. This had all gone on too long, and it needed to be over, and she had the way. As her jog turning into a run, the black clothed figure paid little attention as she reaffirmed her focus. Her run was relatively short taking her to a tall warehouse close to the High School.

"Hello?" She called slipping in through a broken door.

"Hello." A soft kind voice called back, stepping out of the shadows to show a middle-aged woman with soft blonde hair and dark framed glasses. "Amanda, I wasn't expecting you tonight dear."

"I wasn't expecting to be here." The young SIT admitted. "But I have news." She looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Oh dear Amanda you look cold, boys bring her a blanket." The figure snapped her fingers soundlessly and a docile Bringer emerged out of the dark bringing her a warm flannel blanket. "Do tell me darling what news?" The woman walked closer.

"They say they've found a way, a way to end this." Amanda held on to the corners of the blankets drawing it around her.

"How darling, I need details." The woman motioned for her to sit down.

"Tomorrow, they're going to attack. They know you have Ubers." The SIT lowered herself down and shivered.

"But Amanda, even if they know that, how will they beat an army from God?" The woman appeared to sit down across form her.

"The witches." Amanda watched her.

"The witches plan to do what?" She urged.

"The blonde one, she's worked out a spell, we're getting super stakes." Amanda explained.

"Super stakes, interesting. Anything else?" The woman pressed softly.

"The witches, they're coming with the fighters." The SIT relayed.

"Anything else with that silly staff?' The woman looked at her, nodding her approval for the information.

"They've been practising with it a lot. That's when Buffy announced the attack, after a practice session." Amanda offered a little more.

"Anything else my darling." The woman reached out coming just short of caressing her cheek. "God is so pleased with your loyalty."

"The non fighters and everyone else are staying behind, in the house, they're not coming into the fight." Amanda wracked her brain for more details. "The Watchers are coming along though."

"Who is staying behind?" She asked for specific details.

"Buffy's sister, Xander and Anya, the English girl." Amanda tried to recall specifics. "Georgia, and Andrew."

"That's good, they shouldn't be part of all of this." The woman shook her head. "I wish they would see reason, I wish they weren't blinded by lies. I wish they could embrace salvation." She looked remorseful.

"What are you going to do, you should withdraw." Amanda's eyes turned sadly to the woman. "People are going to get hurt."

"Is there anything else you can tell me Amanda, do they know what good the Canadian is yet?" She pushed not answering the desperate plea.

"She's doing something witchy, she's coming along." Amanda pointed out though the SITs had been kept up to date with the where's and when, the details of exactly how things were going to work had been pretty guarded.

"There is nothing else. No shred you can give me." The woman checked.

"There was some talk of vessels, maybe they have a magic gourd or something." Amanda shrugged. "Mr. Giles has a lot of them. I used to talk to Dawn about things." The SIT explained her reasons for being unsure.

"But now?" The woman nodded for her to continue leaning closer.

"She's started sleeping with Faith." She spoke the words in a shameful voice. "That and spending a lot of time with the blonde witch. It's not true is it that you created a copy of her to test Willow, is it?" She added onto the end of her sentence, frowning softly.

"That was another dark force Amanda, a dark force I was trying to stop." The woman frowned. "The slayer line is corrupted, we have to make it clean again, have to help Buffy and the others see the way to the light. See that good girls like you need to be the called as the Slayer again, not tainted ones as her and Faith are."

"They say Faith has changed but she can't have, not if she's sleeping with Dawn, can she?" Amanda hissed slightly.

"Seducing a minor doesn't scream that does it." The woman shook her head.

"And the way Buffy was with Spike and is now using Owl, that's wrong too, surely." Amanda frowned more. "And that all of them, the slayers and the witches, all being together, all girls, my Father always told me that was evil too."

"There is evil in the world that we don't even know to name Amanda." The woman nodded. "Why don't we find you somewhere safe and warm to sleep? You don't have to be around for this child." She motioned for a Bringer to come escort her.

"I can be the purity you need." Amanda got somewhat unsteadily to her feet nodding that she did indeed need to rest. "I want to be a good girl."

"You are already my sweet. Rest now, rest peacefully." She nodded and flicked her eyes to the Bringer. "Rest in peace." She didn't even flinch as the creature reached up to cradle Amanda and snapped her neck letting her limp body fall to the floor.

From his place by the door Spike flicked his cigarette to the floor and stamped it out.

"Bugger." He hissed silently turning and running back towards the house.

"Come on boys." The First's veneer changed again to Buffy. "Plans have changed."

-x-

Pushing up from the floor, Giles didn't bother looking for anything to cover his nakedness, though he did reach for the blanket that was draped over the back of one of the chairs. He picked it up and laid it gently over Sandra who was laying on the floor looking up at him, then he picked up his pants slipping them on.

"Just water?" He checked.

"Water would be lovely." Sandra nodded.

"Don't get to comfy and fall asleep on me." Giles winked.

"Oh I won't, you have promises to keep." She slid one naked leg out of the blanket.

"I'll be right back." Giles adjusted his pants slightly, wishing he'd not had to put them back on before slipping through towards the kitchen to get drinks.

It took the Watcher no more than two minutes to fulfil his task, hurrying back in carrying two glasses of water.

"Mmmm thank you." Sandra sat up a bit holding the blanket too her and taking a long drink. Giles squatted down watching her drink, while gulping down his entire glass. "So you were saying something about training." She teased him.

"I merely said that due to all my training with Buffy, I am not your average man." Giles pointed out putting his empty glass well away from them.

"I know you're a special man Rupert, to have fought this long." Sandra reached up massaging his shoulder.

"You're a special lady Sandra." Giles returned the compliment gently. "I was thinking perhaps you should stay here tomorrow." He broached softly.

"I can't you know that, we have to protect Zoë she is our only chance of winning this. Without her, we're doomed from the start." Sandra shook her head. "I'm prepared for this Rupert, I'm prepared to live through this." She stated honestly.

"I'm not doubting that." Giles shook his head. "But when we win, as you said we will need to rebuild the Council, to do that we need at least one survivor. I think we will win, but having both of using the fight minimises the chance of having a watcher alive after the victory" He explained.

"Then it's decided you should stay here." Sandra smirked at him. "You have a wealth more of experience and time on duty with a slayer than I do."

"Sandra." Giles shook his head. "My place is at Buffy's side."

"Then we're at a roadblock, because I have no intention of hiding here when I could be out there fighting for our lives." She shook her head back.

"You're a good watcher." Giles laughed softly and ran his fingers along Sandra's collarbone.

"I hope I'm better at some things." She leaned back a bit letting the blanket slip off her upper body.

"Well yes." Giles eased himself over Sandra straddling her body. "But we weren't talking about those things." He pointed out.

"I doubt we'll be tired in the morning, not with the adrenaline of what is going on." Sandra reached up running her hands up his chest.

"Yes, adrenaline is an amazing thing." Giles agreed moaning just a little under his breath as he sat upright, letting her fingers play over his chest.

"Perhaps we should just not get any sleep." She pulled him back down and kissed him.

"Mmmmm Sandra." Giles kissed her deeply as he stroked over her shoulder and down her arm.

"Giles!" Spike burst through the door yelling for the Watcher. "Damn man, where are you? We've got a loose baby bird."

"Bloody Hell!" The gasp came from the sitting room accompanied by a dull thud and the shuffling of sheets.

"One moment Spike." Sandra tried to appease him as she used the pillow as a shield. Giles had managed to take all the bedclothes with him when he had pitched off the bed.

"Now this little scene is almost worth the world ending." Spike stood in the doorway and smiled.

"What the bloody hell do you want at this time of night?" Giles scowled and glanced at Sandra. "Oh Lord Sandra dear." He pulled off one of the blankets from around himself nearly loosing both in the muddle.

"I'm fine Rupert, I'm quite sure that he's seen a naked woman before." Sandra sat up though she did pull the offered blanket around her slowly.

"See now there's a bird with class, she knows what she got to flaunt and she flaunts it well." He winked at her. "Anyway, we got trouble mate. One of your little girlies has been playing both sides and has told the First everything."

"Poppycop." Giles frowned. "They're all tucked up in their beds as should you be, well no, but you shouldn't be here."

"I'm telling you old man, I followed the tall lanky one... what's her name... Amanda, she rendezvoused with the First and told her everything about our little attack plan. Then they snapped her bloody neck." He scowled. "I think it had her believing it was the Lord Saviour or something."

"Oh good Lord." The Watcher went pale.

"We need to move house." Spike pointed. "Because it's going to bring whatever it's got down on us fast."

"Yes. Have you told Buffy?" Giles questioned.

"I had hoped coming to tell you wouldn't mean I had to walk in on someone's night before we die activities." Spike admitted. "Apparently I was wrong." He winked at Sandra again.

"Right enough of that. Go trip one of the trip wires. It's the easiest and quickest way of getting everyone up." Giles moved to get his pants.

"It's show time folks." Spike gave a feral grin walking back out into the night and within seconds the alarms started to ring.

"Apparently so." Giles sighed heavily.

"We should get everyone moving quickly. If the First brings its Ubers here our whole plan could end before it has began." Sandra got up pulling on her clothes quickly.

"Yes, of course." Giles agreed easily managing to get his shirt done up as the other members of the house came streaming down the stairs ready to fight.

"What the hell is going on?" Faith arrived in the open doorway with the staff having already discovered nothing wrong at her house and nothing outside to fight. "Anyone in here?"

"Apparently Amanda." Giles began but stopped. "Lets just say we have trouble."

"I'll get everyone gathered at the big house." Faith nodded and moved out.

-x-

Willow listened to everyone talking over one another and knew right away it was getting them no where.

"But we..." She tried to breech into the melee. "I know but..." She glanced at Tara.

Tara gave her a sympathetic glance and was about to say something when Faith jumped up onto the table and pitched one of the candlesticks on it through the window.

"Everyone shut the hell up." She demanded and the room went totally quiet. "Ok, now I know this isn't what we planned but I also know we can do this. We've got the people." She stated. "We've got the mojo and we sure as hell have got the balls."

Everyone stayed quiet but rallied a bit around her.

"We have things left we need to set up." Buffy stood next to her. "Which mean we're going to have to mobilise on the road. How long do you need for prep?" She looked at Willow and Tara.

"Most important thing we've got to do is the marking we have to do that here but it shouldn't take more than ten minutes." She stopped and glanced at Zoë, slipping her hand into Willow's.

"I need everyone in position before I can start." Zoë admitted. "It won't take more than a few moments once you've replicated the staff."

"How long for our super stakes?" Kennedy questioned.

"Giles this is the incantation for the stakes." Tara passed him a slip of paper and a small bag of herbs. "It needs to be done at the last moment."

"Are we splitting up? It sounds like we're splitting up." Georgia questioned from the couch.

"It would be a good idea to round up as many stakes as we have." Faith called from the table, she stopped and looked at Georgia. "We are." She nodded. "Right?" She checked with Buffy.

"Yes." She nodded and looked at Piper. "Faith has the bait, I have the witches, I need you to keep Zoë safe and get her to the Hellmouth on time." She gave a slight smirk at the bad phrasing.

"What about us? Spike said that the First was coming here." There was an obvious train of fear in Andrew's voice.

"It's fine, I have that covered but you all have to be out of the range." Dawn stood up. "You have to go soon." She looked at Tara. "To give me time."

"We need to do the marks. Faith, Buffy, coming to our room would be best." Tara urged her lover to move toward the stairs with her.

"Does that mean we're leaving now?" Zoë looked at Piper.

"No, we need to stick around to get the staff don't we?" Flick said looking at the newest Slayer.

"You can't replicate now until we're on site can you?" Buffy looked at the witches confirming.

"We could do it here." Willow admitted. "But then Tara and I have to make sure the arrows don't come to any harm for all the while we're travelling and possibly fighting Ubers."

"But we can do it, if we have to." Tara put in.

"You can't do it here." Faith shook her head. "It would have to be at the school or somewhere else safe. We have to move."

"Okay, Tara and Willow go take Faith and Buffy up to you room do the preparations you have." Sandra organised them. "Girls you know which groups you are in, so collect up your stakes and go out onto the lawn. Rupert you meet them there ready to imbue." She nodded to the Watcher. "Piper you get the staff and stick to Zoë like glue. Lets get this show on the road." She clapped her hands together.

Everyone started to move with a little more enthusiasm. As she stood in the living room Piper looked at the time, noting how 11:27p.m seemed like a good enough time to start the fight to save the world.

-x-

Willow helped Tara lay out everything. Faith was at the window checking through the blinds for any activity outside while Buffy was pacing nervously.

"I thought we'd have more time." Willow pointed out stupidly as she mixed herbs.

"I know sweetie, but it's okay." Tara added a little holy water to her paste.

"I love you." Willow mixed what she was making into Tara's concoction.

"I love you too." Tara confirmed her voice level and solid despite the tumbling in her stomach.

"I don't care what happens were not splitting up." Willow whispered knowing that they couldn't with the spells but just wanting to reiterate the point.

"No." Tara confirmed reaching for the small paintbrushes she had ready.

"We're ready." Willow looked up at the Slayers.

"Great, what do we need to do?' Buffy questioned walking over.

"Just say your lines on the cards." Tara handed both Slayers' small index cards. "My line is in blue, because of my eyes, Willow's in green, and yours in red."

"We say it together?" Buffy questioned looking at the card.

"You and Faith yes." Tara nodded smiling softly.

"And the tats?" Faith looked at the goop in the bowl.

"Are painted while we recite the words." Tara explained.

"Okay, lets hit it." Faith nodded and then waited impatiently for the few seconds it took for Tara to start her portion of the spell.

-x-


	28. Chapter 28

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Twenty Eight.**

When the tattoo ceremony was over Buffy came downstairs to find an organized chaos. Giles was handing out the remainder of the imbued stakes, obviously having already armed Faith's small group.

"Are we ready?" She questioned when she saw Sandra testing the weight of a small axe near to Giles' shoulder.

"Yes, Tara's spell was very easy to follow." Giles nodded and tucked one of the stakes in his belt. "Were you successful?"

"Not bad for an amateur." Faith hopped down after the blonde and held up her forearm to show the large black crossed daggers that were glowing on her skin. She immediately moved over to her group, taking the heavy broadsword that Kennedy had picked away from her. She exchanged it with a crossbow and another smaller sword that she urged the SIT to strap to her side.

"Zoë and I are ready too." Piper moved out of the kitchen zipping up her leather jacket.

"You have everything you need?" Buffy turned to her having to quell her initial desire to reach up and touch a stray hair around Piper's ear.

"Yeah, I swung the bike around into the neighbours driveway behind us so that her and I can get a secret start. Just in case we get company by the time we're leaving." She motioned back. "Nice tattoo." She looked at the large double bladed axe that was glowing on Buffy's forearm.

"I don't think I want it permanent." Buffy smiled softly and shook her head.

"I think you're beautiful without it." The tall Slayer nodded. "So you need anything else?"

"Just for this to be over and for us to have won." Buffy admitted. "Piper I…" She hesitated glancing at the hustle and bustle around them.

"Don't worry, you can tell me after we kick this bastards ass." Piper winked at her seeing that Giles and Sandra were ready. "My crew is ready to go, should we get a lead on everyone?"

"Faith are you ready?" Buffy looked over and got a thumb up from the dark Slayer. "I just need Willow and Tara." She glanced to the stairs.

-x-

Willow watched from her seat on the edge of the bed as Tara did up the buttons on the front of the three-quarter, red leather military jacket she was wearing. She pulled at the short but thick navy cotton jacket one she was wearing and took a deep breath.

"You should get shoes on honey." Tara looked at her lover's socked feet and smiled. "Let me get your cute boots." She moved over to the closet.

"My mind is a clutter." Willow looked down at her blue and red striped socks.

"It's going to be fine, we just need to focus." She moved back over with the small leather boots and bent down to slip them onto her lover's feet but then stopped. "I can't put them on, the spell." She frowned.

"I know, I can do them up." The redhead smiled at sentiment. "You can take them off later when we've won."

"Lots of celebrating." Tara found she was able to smile as well as she stood up again. "Can you go check everyone is ready, I just want to tie my hair up." She waited until the redhead had finished with her boots.

"I'd offer to braid it." Willow offered moving to the door. "I love you."

"I know, I love you too." Tara whispered watching until Willow was gone before she opened the drawer. She pulled out the small box from the back and opened it with a frown. The dark metallic binding bracelets looked completely harmless, the slim link of chain between them looking like even she could snap it off with brute force. She knew of course that they were far from fragile or weak, she knew that the bracelets could do something totally unthinkable but poised here on the brink of the biggest battle she had ever faced, she couldn't leave them behind.

She tried to appease the shame and betrayal inside her by reminding herself that she needed them just as much for her as she did for Willow. After all with all the new power she had sparked inside her there was a chance that she was going to be the one who crossed a threshold.

She had laid awake more than a few hours trying to consolidate within herself what she would do if the First made a direct attack on Willow again, tried to burrow in and corrupt her lover's magic. She knew that the rest of the Scoobies, in fact the very world needed her to stay strong and focused but she couldn't lie to herself. With Willow in danger she wasn't sure if she could keep her solid level headed magic self intact and not rely on reaction and panic.

Tara's thoughts were still very heavy and with her back to the door she didn't hear Buffy as she came around the bed.

"I don't think we have to worry too much about accessories." The Slayer tried to be humorous but only managed to make the blonde witch jump. "Sorry… I came to get you." She pointed to the door.

"I'm s-s-sorry." Tara heard her voice faltering and tried to calm herself. "I was just…" She looked down to the binders and then up at Buffy. "I need to give you these." She held them out to the Slayer and then placed them on the bed knowing they couldn't touch.

"Oh…" Buffy looked at them. "Great."

"No, you don't understand they're not jewellery, there in case." Tara wound her arms around herself and then purposely forced her body into a more assured and confident stance.

"In case of what? We make the First have form and it forgets to accessorize?" Buffy tried again, she didn't like the tone of Tara's voice at all and right now the last thing she needed was anyone who she considered to be stable to start wigging out on her.

"Buffy, they are magical binders." Tara tried to explain quickly. "In case… you know how much magic we're going to be using… if you think either Willow or…" She didn't get to finish.

"Willow won't go black eyed crazy again Tara, she only did that because she thought you were dead." Buffy stuck up for the redhead, though she wasn't sure if it was because she believed her words or because she couldn't face them not being true.

"It might not be Willow you need to use them on, it could be me." Tara conceded.

"So you're telling me that if you or Willow gets out of hand with the mojo then I have to wrestle you into these and then we can talk you back down." Buffy reached down and picked them up disdainfully.

"Basically yes." Tara nodded and turned away looking out the window.

"Great, though after this I have to question why Giles didn't come with a pair of these the last time?" Buffy thought back to the mayhem in the Magic Box with a frown.

"Probably because he hoped there was a way to save Willow." Tara turned back not able to have Buffy think badly for the Watcher's choice of tactics.

"What aren't you telling me?" The Slayer questioned bluntly looking at the object in her hand again.

"When they are put on a magic user the binders are activated and they burn into the caster's wrists, their magic is then bound for all eternity." Tara whispered the words holding Buffy's hazel eyes.

"For eternity, as in you mean even after death don't you?" Buffy felt a small shiver go up her arm.

"Their essence can never again possess or use magic." The blonde nodded sadly.

"We don't need them." Buffy shook her head and moved to put them down on the dresser. "Neither you or Willow are going to lose it out there, you're going to be fine."

"Buffy!" Tara felt her voice come out sharply. "Put them in your pocket." She didn't know why she dared but she made the order in the same tone. She was ready when angry hazel eyes turned to glare at her as the Slayer's small hand closed around the metal rings. "Put them in your pocket and pray you don't have to use them." Her words dropped to an icy tone.

"When this is over I'm destroying them." Buffy huffed as she stuffed them into her pocket and moved to the door. "We need to go, everyone is waiting on us."

-x-

Zoë breathed in deeply as she held on tight to her girlfriend for one last moment before pulling back. She picked up the shotgun from the table and slung it over her shoulder so that it was strapped to sit across her back.

"You promise to stay here." She reached up cupping her hand around Beth's cheek rubbing her thumb over the single stray tear that was slipping down the woman's pale skin.

"Only if you promise to come back." Beth warned her voice soft but strong.

"I promise." Zoë took her tear-dampened thumb and made a cross over her heart. She took a step backwards onto the porch out of the doorway and into the dreary light from the lanterns still strung on the house from their backyard party. "Let's go." She turned to Piper who was waiting with the staff.

The tall Slayer's farewell with Buffy had been much more muted. The fact they couldn't touch each other had made it a little easier, gave her just one more thing to fight for. Hell be damned she was going to kiss Buffy Summer's again.

"You got the safety on that thing right." Piper smirked as they walked down to the back tree line.

"Cocked, locked but safe." Zoë kept her stare forward not being able to bring herself to look back until the very last moment. She wasn't surprised that the back door was already closed and there was no sign of her girlfriend, Beth had never been good at partings.

"You sure you need that?" Owl held up the cut back section of the neighbour's fence to let the Canadian pass through first.

"Worse comes to worse, I'm going to give the bitch a body and then start popping wholes in it. That's if you Slayers don't hold up your end of our bargain." She winked as they came into the streetlight on the other side.

"Don't worry, you give her a body and us Slayers will do our part." Owl grinned as she settled the staff into the makeshift holder she had made at the back of the bike and then slung her leg over.

"Guess you're not going to entertain letting me drive eh?" Zoë got on behind her tucking the shotgun into a good place before she wound her arms lightly around Owl's body. She gave a slight wave to Giles and Sandra who were waiting in the small Jeep for them at the end of the street with the lights off.

"Not a chance Maple Leaf." Owl kicked the bike to life and revving it a little took off down the street.

-x-

Dawn came out onto the front lawn watching as Buffy helped Tara load the box of spell ingredients into the back of the bus. As her sister's group was the largest they had opted to use the transportation Sandra had originally found to bring the last load of SIT's into town.

"Buffy…" She stepped forward a bit when she saw her sister motion for everyone to get inside quickly.

"Get inside Dawn, take everyone to the basement like we said and…" Buffy knew her voice didn't hold the hardness it should when giving the important instructions.

"Don't!" Dawn cut her off. "I know what I have to do, just don't you dare die on me again." She growled the words angry more at herself for how overwhelmed she was feeling when she had wanted to be in control and calm.

Buffy wanted to say so many thing but she could tell that the fragile veneer Dawn was keeping around herself was liable to crumble if she did.

"And let you pick through my clothing, I don't think so." Buffy teased holding her sister's eyes.

"I don't want your ugly clothes." Dawn felt her body relax a little. "Get on the bus, you're holding up everyone."

Buffy smiled and pushed up, holding onto the bar as Spike put the bus into gear, making it sway slightly before it started to lumber down the road. Dawn felt somewhat absurd waving, but the faces of Willow and Tara in the front windows made her feel compelled too.

"Don't worry D, she'll be a pain in your ass again in a few hours." Faith came out of the house sliding the long bow she carried over her shoulder.

"I expect both of you back in less than a few hours." Dawn held her arms around her body to make sure she didn't touch the dark Slayer. Tara had given her the soft warning just in case what she was going to do would somehow interfere with the bigger spell.

"Yeah, and whatever you and Blondie got cooked up." Faith moved close to her but didn't breech the gap between them, her voice slipping down to a whisper. "If I find out it hurts you then Red better get her shit kicking magic on 'cause I'm going to tear a chunk out of Tara's ass."

"It won't hurt me." Dawn shook her head. "It's just a barrier spell, to keep us safe." She looked back to the house. "I want to kiss you." She whispered biting her lip.

"Me too, but I got this thing to do baby." Faith pulled back as the other SIT's streamed by heading down the lawn looking like a small army. "As soon as I'm done though." She gave the brunette a stunning smile. "We've got a date." She twirled her sword.

"Don't get all bruised, I want to get photos from the booth at the mall." Dawn didn't know how on earth she could smile but the confidence that Faith oozed made it easy somehow.

"Get in the house then and do your thing Dizzy." Faith urged waiting until Dawn was safely inside before she took a breath and started to lead her group down the street.

-x-

Zoë frowned as Owl kicked open another door only to find a janitor's closet.

"You know in all our planning you think one of us would have wondered just how the hell are we getting on the roof?" She laughed tensely as they continued down the hall. "Beth always says it's the little things."

Before Owl could answer, Sandra's came running down from the other hall.

"I've found the service stairs to the roof, this way." She urged them shifting the axe she carried. "Rupert, come on." She barked at him when he moved too slowly to pick up the heavy bag they had left at the crossroads of the halls while they explored.

"I think the bus is here." Owl listened close and heard the distinct whine of the badly tuned diesel. "Let me come and lock the latch behind you."

-x-

"What if we can't find them?" Kennedy questioned checking the tension on her crossbow as the came to the end of one street and began to cross against the useless streetlights to enter onto the main road.

"I don't think we have to worry about that." Faith looked up to see a half dozen hunched figures prowling down the road and moved to fling the long bow from her shoulder to a ready position.

"Oh my God, there's so many of them!" Jo squeaked holding up her sword with suddenly sweaty hands.

"This is just round one, remember cut them down but when I give the word we lead them down the roads I showed you." Faith put one of the speciality arrows Giles had prepared out of the quiver on her side and up against the line.

"Unless we can kill them all, which is bound to get the First's attention." Kennedy levelled her crossbow also ready.

"We won't be able to kill them all, but take as many as you can." Faith turned hearing another growl as an Uber jumped down from the building at their left. She caught it with the arrow in mid air so that it's body turned to dust before it could land.

-x-

The school as everyone had expected was deserted, the gates to the back sports field only took one strike to the rusty lock and Buffy was able to swing them open. Spike geared down the bus as it moved slowly across the dirt and gravel, before pulling it to a stop in the middle of the baseball diamond.

"Time for school girls, let's not be late or the headmistress will be cross." He stood up looking back at all the scared faces in the small seats.

"You're not helping." Buffy growled at him and stared until he moved out of the way so that everyone could file out.

"We should get set up." Willow looked at Tara who nodded her agreement. Buffy moved to unload their box of supplies immediately.

"Go with the witches, I'll get the baby Slayers into position." Spike urged her as he began pointing out places for them to hide in the relatively open but shadowed area. "I'll move the bus over too to block the space in the buildings." He pointed out the large area to their back where it would be easy for anything to stroll up on them.

"Thank you." Buffy looked at him seeing how he was trying to be helpful.

"Yeah, we're all going to bloody die anyway." Spike grumbled and turned away throwing away his cigarette as he got back in and the bus pulled away. "Might as well make it a fight to remember."

-x-

Zoë crouched by the edge of the roof looking out into the darkness. She could see vague shadows scurrying from place to place and it gave her some comfort that everyone else had seemed to have arrived safely.

She squinted over in the direction of the open atrium in the science building and was even more comforted by the small pinpoints of candle light that flickered to life marking that Willow and Tara were setting up for their spell.

"You should get yourself ready, Rupert and I will keep watch." Sandra came up beside her and put a soft hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah." Zoë nodded and moved back to start unpacking her supplies.

She unrolled the square thick carpet over the hard tar gravel surface of the roof and sat down in the middle of it cross legged, fidgeting her position for a few moments. She reached underneath it at one point pulling out a stone and throwing it away as it had been poking her in the leg. Consciously she changed her breathing to an even in and out pace as she looked out into the dark sky. From her lower position she couldn't see any of the activity on the field and she hoped it would help her focus.

She pulled out two small metal incense burners, filling them with a small amount of power and then lighting them with the Zippo Flick had lent her. She placed them out in front of her, playing with there position and rotation before she finally just resolved herself that the wind up on the roof was too erratic to control the smoke trails. Finally she took the melded crystal from the original spell and placed it between the two small trails of smoke on a metal pedestal.

Trying to calm her nerves as she settled, she reaching into her pocket and popped the half piece of bubble gum she had left there into her mouth, chewing as she breathed in and out more slowly through her nose and tried to settle her body into a relaxed position.

-x-

Buffy pushed the heavy potted tree back out of the way, effectively giving the two witches an unimpeded view through the atrium walls into the darkness across the football and baseball field.

"Anything else?" She turned watching as Tara finished with the last candle and Willow finished making the two small makeshift altars with fabric, stones and bowls.

"Owl and Faith." Tara admitted smiling at the pretty way Willow had arranged everything. "And to be in eyeshot of the staff."

"Two of the three here." Owl came in through the back door and paused long enough to brace the doors closed with the fire extinguisher from nearby. "Zoë and the Watchers are tucked up on the roof."

"Did you have any trouble?" Buffy questioned immediately glancing over Owl to confirm that there was no sign of trouble on her lover before she looked back out in the dark.

"Didn't see anything out of the ordinary." Owl moved to the front. "Where do you need this?" She twirled the staff a little anxious.

"You can keep it to fight, just make sure you're where we can see you." Willow explained. "We don't physically need the staff, just the ideal essence of it which we can conjure from seeing it. Oh but remember you can't touch any of the three of them together or poof."

"Poof?" Buffy turned looking at her best friend.

"I think what Willow means is that if they touch they will merge making two become one, or three become one again." Tara tried to do a better job of explaining.

"We don't have time to have a quick staff fight off so no worries." Owl assured everyone. "Do you need me in here when you do the mojo?"

"No, we just need Faith and Buffy close enough to pick up their shades of it." Tara confirmed.

"Last minute addition to the plan, I'll see you out there." Owl looked at Buffy for a long moment and then pushed into the night, running with lightening speed across the field.

"Did Faith give you any idea how long it would take her? It would be nice if we can have things started, right baby?" Willow looked between her lover and the Slayer.

"We'll know when Faith is close." Buffy assured them looking back out the window. "Anyone in a fifty mile radius will know."

-x-

Kennedy shot off the last of the imbued crossbow bolts she was carrying, cursing when a Bringer was thrown into its path before it could cut into the Uber she was aiming at.

"We're not going to make it, they're surrounding us." She barked at Faith as she threw the crossbow at the still charging Uber and pulled out the imbued stake in her pocket gripping it tightly.

"Fall back to the red mark." Faith screamed at everyone swinging her sword to decapitate a Bringer.

Kennedy barely heard Faith's order as she found herself pinned against a car in the middle of the road as she tried to scramble away from the Uber long enough to get a shot with her stake.

"Kenny, get out of here and blow it." Faith charged over the trunk of the car, hitting the Uber in the head with a solid kick to spin it away.

Kennedy pushed up, scrambling to grab her fallen sword as she skirted headlong down to where the others were retreating as for the moment the Ubers concentrated on surrounding Faith.

"They're going to turn on us." Stacey flicked the box open that was stashed by the mailbox and pulled out the flare gun. "We have too…"

"We're not blowing Faith up, give her a few seconds." Kennedy pulled the plastic gun away loading in the flare as she watched Faith fighting. 'Come on, just put a little distance.'

Sensing the hesitation Faith back flipped over the car and began running, her legs pumping so hard she was sure that her boots were leaving marks in the pavement.

"Blow it!" She screamed seeing Kennedy level the flare gun.

Jerking her finger down on the trigger, the SIT sent the fiery projectile into the open door of a parked car near to the one blocking the road. As the sparks hit the gasoline drenched inside and it erupted with a loud booming explosion, the vehicle rearing up and tipping over into the one in front, the flames almost instantly causing the same thing to happen to the second.

Quickly she bent down loading another flare, which she aimed over Faith's head, it thumped off the side of the car before it rolled under it and another explosion erupted sending the nearby Ubers into flames.

"Holy shit it worked." Faith pushed up from where she had been thrown to the pavement and looked back at the chaos and rolls of thick black smoke, she put her hands up instinctually as another of the rigged cars exploded. "Jo, when you said you had an inner pyromaniac you weren't kidding." She slapped the SIT on the back, who was stood grinning at her handiwork. "Come on, that won't keep them busy for long." She urged everyone to start running towards the school.

-x-

Zoë was shocked out of her slightly relaxed meditation when the sky a few blocks down to the south of them erupted in fireballs and smoke.

"I'm going to assume that is Faith's surprise." Giles put up his binoculars finding that in the low levels of light they were almost useless.

"Means things are going to start very soon, prepare yourself." Sandra turned back to her. "You might want to get rid of the gum."

"Oh right." Zoë smiled and turning without thinking she just spit it out letting it land a few feet away on the gravel in a purple lump.

-x-

The Summers' house was as quiet from the outside as any other in Sunnydale, the lone figure standing on the front step one of the major difference between it and the others on the deserted street. Without the dozens of women training and fighting within the house it was almost picturesque, that would be if any artist could explain the large dome that had appeared around the property.

Anya walked up close to the shimmering grey slightly opaque barrier and smiled. She turned back almost giddily and walked confidently through the front door.

"Well we're fine, anyone want to play Scrabble?" She asked enthusiastically.

"I'm not sure this is a good time for Scrabble An." Xander gripped the sword he had looking out the dining room window. "We could still be attacked."

"Duh, big barrier spell." Anya shook her head. "Nothing could get through that, except maybe Willow on a magic high but if that happens we know we won't have to worry about the First anymore."

"Dawn, are you okay?" He looked back to where the brunette was sitting at the dining room table.

"Great, never better." She blinked a little glossy eyed as she reached up to snuff the candle now that the spell was finished. "Does anyone mind if I lie down?"

The question was barely out of her mouth before she started to tumble sideways. Bethany was close enough to catch her and with Xander's help managed to ease her over to the couch.

"Anya, tell me this is normal?" He questioned the ex-demon.

"Oh stop worrying, it's totally normal. She's put all her energy in to charge the shield, young energetic virgin like her means we should have a good four to six hours of charge. The world will either be saved or over by then." Anya carried a blanket over. "It's why we should play Scrabble, to fill in the time."

-x-

Buffy had easily heard the explosions and even felt the slight shake in the ground, though she doubted the others had sensed the motion.

"You should get started, she'll be here in about a minute and a half." She looked back at the witches.

"Right, are you ready?" Willow looked across at Tara taking a deep breath.

"I am." Tara nodded slightly she glanced at Buffy. "Are you ready Buffy?" She asked almost pointedly.

"Yes." Buffy looked back at her holding blue eyes in the dim light.

"We can do this." Tara smiled slightly and then looked at her lover.

"Oh course we can, piece of cake." Willow nodded and knelt down in front of her small altar moving to uncover her half of the arrow.

Tara did the same, her hand trembling slightly as she revealed the slender shaft.

"Since you're here already Buffy I can start and then Tara can join when Faith arrives." Willow explained softly putting her hands up in front of her. "Oh wait... where's Owl?" She looked out into the dark field.

The answer came just moments latter, when after a few flickers, bright floodlights illuminated the playing area. As the lights came on, Owl emerged from the gym building twirling the staff.

"Okay so now we're really ready." Willow stared at the staff and took a deep breath as she pushed up to stand. "Powers of creation, blessing onto me, to bring to creation that I wish to be." Slowly the half arrow in front of Willow began to rise up. "Creation is precious, my blessing unique, make strong now my weapons, my enemies weak."

Almost on cue to Buffy's prediction Faith came running onto the scene with the rest of her group, they were followed by what seemed like unless hordes of Ubers and Bringers.

"Get the party started!" Faith screamed as she turned throwing a dagger into a Bringer's chest as it swiped at a slower running SIT.

Tara glanced up grateful to both hear and see Faith running towards them. She focused first on the twirling staff in Owl's hands and then on the slim arrow shaft on the altar in front of her. Beginning the same chant that her lover had moments before, Tara's voice was soft and confident, her hands moving in gentle controlled movements extending out to her sides and then back to the centre of her body.

Willow's arms made the same movement as the air around the arrow started to swirl with a red mist, the form of the arrow soon hidden as the mist began to lengthen out.

"Between heaven and earth, this magic I do, so now let the staff once one become two." Willow finished her spell as her hands came together in front of her, she interlocked her fingers around the middle grip and the mist solidified showing the shade of the staff floating in her grasp.

"Pretty." Faith called. "Can Buffy grab it yet, because our girls are running out of sakes."

"Tara has to finish yours." Willow shook her head holding it aloft and her hands together.

The blonde witch was softly moving her hands along the blue mist rising around the floating arrow.

"Under Artemis eye, ever blessed be she, what was once one, then two, with my power become three." Closing long fingers around the now solidifying bluish copy of the staff, Tara blinked her eyes slowly.

"Take them." Willow instructed looking at the two Slayers.

"Thanks." Buffy snatched hers and took off across the field, she flicked the axe blades out and sliced through two Bringers and an Uber.

"Time to kick ass." Faith grinned and pulled hers lightly from Tara's grip, surprised at the soft tug that seemed to separate the witch and the very real staff, leaving a shimmering transparent image of it still in her hands, just like Willow had after Buffy had taken hers.

"You okay baby?" Willow turned to her lover trying not to show the strain on her face.

"Yes." Tara also tried bravely to mask the effort she felt. "It worked." She let a smile play on her lips. "We did it."

"We did." Willow smiled back. "Hopefully it's this easy for Zoë."

-x-

Zoë tried to focus even though she could hear everything happening below them. The sound of SIT's screaming, this hiss of Ubers and the clash of weapons didn't make her task at all easy. Even the agitated way that Giles and Sandra paced along the roof edge made her realize more and more that this was the moment.

"Is the First here yet?" She asked reaching out to cup her hands in the incense and bringing the smoke back lightly to cleanse her face as she closed her eyes.

"I don't thin..." Sandra shook her head but stopped as she turned to look back at Zoë and saw a silent apparition standing in front of the Canadian.

"I don't actually have to, you know, wait around to move like you." Appearing more or less directly in front of Zoë, The First held Holly's form and glanced down at the concoction of spell ingredients.

"Where once was the shadows, where once was the void..." The Canadian's eyes were wide as she appraised the figure so close to her, her voice tight and panicked.

"Oh decided you're a witch have you Zoë?" The First's voice was filled with mirth.

"Where once there was nothing, where once there was lack..." Zoë tried to focus on the words of the spell and not on the First in front of her. It couldn't hurt her until it had form, and she had to get it form.

"What do you hope to do little girl?" The First sneered. "Your friends are going to die, your girlfriend too." It pointed out. "I know you left her behind, unprotected."

"With the power inside me..." Zoë looked up at the First, her shaky words stalling. "This isn't fucking working!" She spat out glancing over to where Giles and Sandra were standing ready to attack.

It smiled more as the Canadian stalled and lost her thin grip on meditational calm.

"What you think locking her in a cellar with a teenager and some injured little girls would keep her safe?" It continued mercilessly.

"You want a fucking fight?" Zoë pushed up and manhandled off her coat, her breath coming hard and fast. "You want to take me on you son of a ten cent whore demon." She flung the jacket through the First's form watching it shimmer but settle back unharmed as it flew a few feet further and dropped to the tar roof. "Then bring it on." She snarled reaching down and picking up the melded crystal. "Where once was the shadows, where once was the void..." She stared into the apparition's face her voice shaking with rage. "Where once there was nothing, where once there was lack..."

"Didn't you learn anything at witchy school little girl, you can't cast when you're imbalanced." The First laughed at her. "You need control, calm." It raised its hands in a mock meditational pose. "You have neither."

Zoë reached up and for some reason clawed her blunt fingernails into the burning she felt in the scars at her collarbone, her hand came back coated in blood as the wounds were now open and free flowing.

"With the power inside me..." Zoë's chant took on an almost maniacal tone as she looked at the blood. "Born out of fire, the spite of my heritage hereby inspires, I need not the calmness, the ocean my guide, my blood it was born from the wind ravaged tides..." She stuck the crystal out impaling it through to the centre of the First's ghostly form. In response the apparition's clarity began to shift and wave.

A quizzical frown creased the First's brow as it looked down at the crystal being stuck into its torso.

"Bow now to my wishes, bend now to my call, break down this illusion, my fist through your walls..." She pulled her hand back but the crystal remained suspended inside Holly's body.

"What are you doing child?" The First's voice deepened slightly as the pull of Zoë's hand made her form buckle and bend more around the misshapen crystal.

"My body your vessel, my blood now your own, I bring you to being, my mortality loan..." Zoë flicked her bloody hand at the First, sending droplets of the red liquid slowly floating through the air. "Come dance with us humans, come dare to survive, because I make you cursed vessel, so that the First now can die." The thick droplets finally reached where the First stood but instead of passing through they splattered onto solid peach skin as the crystal erupted with a glowing light to fill out and create a body in Holly's shape.

"What... I..." The First looked down at the pale hand that it reached towards the Canadian as if suddenly seeing and feeling something for the first time. "What have you done?" It asked as the hand turned slowly before pulling back towards its torso to rub fingertips over the warm blood that has splattered onto its face.

"I gave you a body, you dumb bitch!" Zoë cursed at it.

"And I thought you were on their side." The First laughed openly and longer as she felt the feeling of the reverberation in her chest. "Oh Zoë, Zoë, Zoë, maybe I should have come to you a long time ago."

"I gave you a body so they..." Zoë pointed out to where the Slayers were down below. "Can kill you." She smiled at her creation.

"You foolish girl." She shook her head and laughed again as turned and looked down at the playing field now swarming with potentials, Bringers and the odd Uber that dared to come out of the shadows. "It will take more than children with sticks to kill me."

Zoë was going to say something when from behind her an Uber leapt up onto the building snarling before it started to charge at her.

"Desist." The First pushed its hand out towards the vampire that obediently skidded to a stop. The First, now contained in Holly's form turned and looked at Zoë. "I think that you might be the key to this." She ran a hand down the side of her body. "And I don't want to risk losing this just yet." Chanting under her breath the First blinked slowly and three others joined the Uber. "Guard her." She pointed at Zoë. "Kill them." It added motioning to Giles and Sandra. "I'm going to have some fun." With a graceful and elaborate back flip, the First jumped the large distance straight down to the sports field and sprinted away.

"Rupert." Sandra squeaked raising up her axe.

"Don't worry." Zoë reached down beside the carpet pulling up the shotgun, she pumped two rounds into one of the Ubers and then turned firing at the door to blow the lock off so that it swung open. "If she wants me protected they have to follow me." She looked at the three creatures. "Don't you uglies?" She started to move towards the door.

Snarling and hissing the super vampires followed the witch.

"We have to let the slayers know it has form." Sandra looked at Giles leaning back against the ledge for a moment of stability.

"Are you sure, I could possibly make this area safe, you could stay here, I could find Buffy and the others?" Giles offered instantly.

"No time." Sandra started running towards the door hoping they'd given Zoë enough time to lead her sitters away.

-x-

"Kennedy fall back, get the injured out of here." Faith cut through another two Bringers casting glances over her shoulder at the determined potential.

"I'm not falling back." Kennedy growled and swung clothlining another one. "Jo's hurt, she can still walk. Jo get everyone hurt back to the bus." She side kicked another one.

"They'll need someone skilled to watch over them." Faith growled kicking an Uber back into the shadows at the side of the field.

"I'm getting them on the bus and then I'm coming back.' Kennedy finally killed the Bringer she was fighting with. "Come on." She picked up Chia helping her move towards the bus at the back as Jo helped Stacey.

Faith gave her a nod of approval and then squeezed her staff, with a flourish she quartered the Uber that began lumbering after the injured SITs.

"B, we must have killed at least fifteen of those super vamps, surely it must be running out of the big troops." She called to Buffy sprinting across the field.

"What the hell is Zoë doing?" Buffy cut the blades through the Bringer she was fighting with quickly and looked up to the top of the school seeing no movement.

"No clue." Faith admitted taking a quick moment to wipe the sweat and blood off her hands.

"Who the hell is that?" Owl called for their attention as she pointed out across the field to the figure of a woman stood on the edge of the grass looking around almost a little amused.

Buffy looked up to where her lover directed seeing the tall, slim woman.

"Does anyone recognise her?" Buffy questioned snapping out the shield blades.

"Think its possible that the only person left in Sunnydale is a young woman wondering across the ball field?" Faith moved forward coming parallel to Buffy.

"What's your vote Piper?" Buffy looked as her lover came to parallel to her other shoulder.

"We need to think about this." Owl slowed down. "If the First is here and if Zoë has done the spell, that could be the First," The newest Slayer hissed. "And if it is, we need to keep an element of surprise."

"I'm voting we assume she's the First." Buffy swirled around cutting down a Bringer than charged from behind.

"I'm voting split up." Faith offered glancing towards the dark shadows that boxed the field where the spotlights couldn't reach.

"We have to keep her away from Willow and Tara." Buffy hissed under her breath and was glad to see Faith spread off in that vague direction. "Piper." She turned to the taller Slayer glancing around. "Something isn't right."

"What do you mean?" Owl frowned.

"The attacks, the way they are rounding us up." Buffy looked around in the shadows. "It knows what we're doing."

"It can't." Piper shook her head. "The SITs didn't know details." She pointed out "And the shield kept it out."

"But if Zoë has done the spell, then it knows." Buffy turned suddenly and stared at the other woman still on the edge of the grass fully expecting the stare she was getting back.

"But Zoë doesn't know that the spell has worked." Piper pointed up at the roof. "We've got no signal."

"Something gone wrong up there or Giles would have signalled us." Buffy looked at the roof again. "We can't assume she didn't finish the spell."

"Am I interrupting a chat?" The First asked as she walked towards the pair.

"We were just wondering if you're a screamer or a squealer." Buffy looked at the First.

"Well I'm wondering what you mean by that then." The First looked a little confused.

"When we kill you, are you going to scream or squeal?" Buffy spelled it out.

"I love your sense of humour Slayer." The First shook her head. "Though believe me I would love to try out your type of screaming." Her smile turned into a lecherous one as she flicked her eyes to Piper. "Or is that only a skill she possesses?"

"She thinks she's going to live long enough." Buffy glanced at Piper and smiled.

"Oh wait am I supposed to be scared?" The First put her hand to her chest. "Of you and your little disposable lover."

"If you really knew what it was like to be alive you would be." Buffy shifted the staff in her hands.

"Well forgive me, but having a body is kinda new." She ran her hand over her shoulders and then watched Buffy's grip change on the staff.

'Zoë did it!' was all that Buffy could think as the First made the admission.

"You might have a mystical staff little slayer and giving your girlfriend a bit of wood that looks like it is a clever idea." She looked again at Piper. "But you don't think that I'm going to let you so much as scratch my gorgeous body do you?"

"We don't plan on scratching it." Piper shook her head.

"You know I don't know what you were thinking when you decided to give me this gift, but I bet you didn't do all your sums." The First shook her head and pushed herself into a sprint. Before either Slayer could move the First had run around behind Piper and locked her arm securely around the newest Slayer's neck. "Should I try out that exquisite experience of taking a life?" She winked at Buffy, tightening her grip on Owl's windpipe.

Piper gasped for air as the quick movement caught her without a defensive response, as her head swam due to lack of oxygen she felt the staff falling out of her hand.

"You don't want her to be your first kill." Buffy tried to keep her words even. "I'm the one you've been baiting, I'm the true warrior."

"Giving me a body hasn't made me stupid Slayer." She pressed on Piper's neck again. "I can feel her blood pumping through her body faster, her heart working harder as I squeeze." The First's eyes gleamed. "Didn't know I brought all my powers with me into this mortal coil did you Slayer? I can feel the sweat seeping out of the pores on her neck, on her throat."

"There are a few things you don't know either." Buffy stayed still feeling the movement in the shadow behind the First.

"Oh do you mean her?" The First motioned with her free hand over her shoulder towards Faith in the darkness. "Oh know I know about her." She shook her head. "What I can't work out is why she's not just hitting me or kicking me." She admitted with a slightly confused frown. "I mean I am choking the life out of the true slayer." She pressed tighter still making Piper's eyes roll up a little towards the back of her head.

"Let her go." Zoë's voiced screamed angrily as she stepped out towards them from the building, the trio of Ubers still lumbering around her. "Let her go or I'll injure us." She pointed the shotgun at her thigh.

"Oh here she is, my creator, my most beloved." The First turned her eyes to Zoë. "Do you want her creator, I can take her life, a sacrifice for you?" She laughed again. "Isn't that what you humans do, perform sacrifices in honour?"

"Let her go." Zoë warned again.

"I'm disappointed creator. Think of her pretty little head on a nice block of wood on the wall." With her free hand she grabbed Owl by the hair and pulled her head up for Zoë to see.

"Let her go, or you'll be one leg less a woman." Zoë squeezed a little harder on the trigger.

"You're bluffing." The First shook her head "You wouldn't hurt yourself." She reasoned. "Humans wouldn't survive the shock."

"I won't survive and you'll return to a pitiful puff of cloud." Zoë cursed. "Insane and forever longing for only what I could give you."

"Oh don't flatter yourself little girl." The First scoffed. "If you can do it I can find someone else who will."

"I will flatter myself because you, in your infinite knowledge, didn't know I or anyone could do this." Zoë laughed back. "So how do you think you can find another just like that?"

"Well now let me think." The First eyes closed momentarily and then suddenly she dropped Piper, her eyes flicking up and around. "Oh now you didn't tell me we had more friends to tea creator." She tutted again and then set off at an impossible fast pace towards Willow and Tara's hiding place.

"Go, finish her." Zoë screamed at the Slayers.

"That's our key B." Faith pushed into a fast sprint after her.

"What?" Buffy moved over to help Piper up.

"Don't touch her." Faith reminded. "And come on, she's heading for the witches and if she gets to them." She didn't bother finishing her sentence as she started running.

Buffy was forced to still herself before she did just that without thinking.

"I'll get her up." Zoë moved over with her Ubers in tow. "GO!" She screamed at Buffy who finally broke into a run.

-x-

Willow took another breath feeling her arms shaking a little. They had been struggling now to keep the staff magic up for along time, and she knew that they couldn't even consider things to be finished as they could still see Ubers and Bringers.

"Tara, who is that?" She questioned looking out at the blur that streaked towards them.

"I..." Tara's blue eyes flicked trying to focus on the fast moving blur. "I don't know I can't really see, moving to fast." She admitted her breathing a little staggered, sweat trickled down over her nose and back into her hair. Her hands and arms though were rock solid in comparison.

"What do we do?" Willow felt her voice squeak a bit.

"There's not much we can do." Tara admitted feeling her heart beat a little faster. "We can't lose our focus or shift our position. You think it's the First don't you?"

"I know it is." Willow steadied herself.

"Faith's following, Buffy too." Tara filled in getting more scared.

"We have to do something to help them." Willow glanced around.

"Maybe we can." Tara frowned slightly as the young woman who still had a good lead on the Slayers became more than clearly visible. "Goddess, its Holly." She breathed out in a shocked whisper.

"Who?" Willow narrowed her eyes trying to focus.

"The actress, the one that Beth left Zoë for, at least that's what Zoë thought." Tara explained quickly.

"Didn't Zoë say she was dead?" Willow questioned feeling time slip by.

"She is, it's the First… the spell must have worked." Tara felt tension and fear creep into her spine. "Zoë did it."

"We have to stop her." Willow opened her eyes fully again solidifying the streams of her magic.

"We can't hurt her, not if the spell's worked, we'd be hurting Zoë," Tara reminded.

"We have to do something." Willow questioned. "I won't let it hurt you."

"The staff will hold its form for a while, if for some reason I stop casting, as long as the arrow isn't damaged." Tara pointed out.

"No, it has to be me. The First will get too busy trying to turn me." Willow turned to look at her lover. "Giving the Slayers time."

"Willow, listen to me." Tara shook her head. "The First knows you. It's felt your power, we can't let it touch you again." She pointed out clearly. "I'm not suggesting self sacrifice here." She shook her head. "I have another idea."

"I'll maintain both staffs, go do it." Willow let out a hard breathed.

"I love you Willow." Tara solidified her devotion as she uncurled her fingers from the translucent staff. That it stayed in place made her breathe a soft sigh of momentary relief.

"I love you too." Willow nodded splitting one hand off to point at the other staff essence.

"Ready to see me do something you'll not have seen before?" Tara tried a smile.

"Always, then I can brag about how sexy my girl is later." Willow tried to smile back.

"I'll be back." Tara gave a wink and stepped away from the altar. "I don't pull that off as well as the terminator."

"You're much cuter." Willow managed a light laugh.

With a soft shimmer the blonde witch seemed to flicker a little and then, though she was still stood in her place near Willow, a projection of her appeared out on the grass a few hundred feet away.

-x-

"Tara, get back inside!" Buffy screamed when she saw the witch appear.

"Ah Tara." The First stopped as quickly as she had started her run. "One of the little witches."

The blonde remained oddly silent, her hands moving in a soft serious of actions all of which the First watched with apparent interest.

"Fascinating, You know I really should have killed you as well as creating your replacement." Still silent Tara finished her moves and a faint blue line etched itself across the grass.

"I'm not incorporeal anymore witch." Boldly the First stepped forward but her progress was instantly stumbled as the grass shot up with electric flares that pierced into her making her arms harden with the shock.

"Oh." She stepped back blinking for a moment as the tendrils of pain subsided for a moment. "Interesting." She reached her hand forward again past the line shaking for a bit from the shock. "So this is..." She stepped back looking at Tara's projection. "Pain is it?"

"Yeah that's pain." Faith reached the First before Buffy just as Tara's form shimmered away. "Like it?" She twirled her staff letting the blades flick out. "You and it could become close friends if you do." She snarled.

"Very close friends." Buffy circled around to her other side.

"Wait..." The First looked between the Slayers. "The staff... but... how?"

For the first time it looked unsure.

"And that would be fear." Faith smirked as she took a slight step forward.

"You found a way." The First growled.

"And that burning in what is your stomach is called anxiousness." Buffy teased.

"Oh you think you win this round? You forget I had your little caster protected by three of my vampires, the can switch from protecting to killing her in a heartbeat." The First flicked its hand in the air. "I can find a replacement."

-x-

"Come on girl, you can do this." Zoë pulled open Piper's coat more. She tried to help ease her breathing seeing the bruising around the Slayer's throat. "You can..." She yelped as her body shivered with the electricity as it hit the First across the field. "Fuck me, what was that?" She looked up to see the First put it hands against the barrier again. She whimpered as her whole body went taunt.

"Zoë?" Piper's eyes blinked open hearing the whimper she struggled to fit the sluggish feeling in her body and to sit up

"The bitch is electrocuting us." Zoë fell back panting.

"Fuck." Piper pushed up "Hell what did I miss?" She turned briefly looking up the field. Moving swiftly Piper knelt beside Zoë, only to be growled at by the three Ubers

"Just don't make a move at me, the First has ordered them to protect me." Zoë tried to explain as she managed to get her muscles to relax again.

"Can I kill them?" Piper asked her hand tightening around the staff.

"Sure, go for it." Zoë nodded.

Smiling she stepped forward, extending the war staff she smacked the Uber either side of the grass in the same stroke. The middle one growled and jumped at her. She let them both fall holding the Uber back off her with the staff when her back hit the floor.

Taking a second to breath she strengthened her arms and then pushed it back off her. With a wide arching swing Piper speared one of the three with the end of the war staff, its form seeming to hang onto existence for a moment before crumbling to dust.

The other two however were not that easy, having watched the graceful arcs and swings the Slayer had made with the staff they now approached from two completely opposite sides. Owl knew she had to chose one of them to focus on.

The one to her left made the choice for her charging in with its arms sweeping to try to knock the staff away.

"No way ugly, I keep this." Piper tightened her grip and then spinning it so that the opposite end came around and collided with the back of the Uber's head. Just as she was about to finish it the creature hissed and swung around, its attention firmly focused on Zoë.

"Oh shit." Zoë scrambled backwards seeing the feral look its eyes.

"Let me guess, the First's worked out the plan." Piper followed her prey.

"I'm guessing." Zoë managed to level up the shotgun and snapped off the three remaining shots into it. The Uber only seemed phased but not particularly bothered.

"Tell me that wasn't you last shot." She requested as she literally jumped on the back of the other Uber.

"I need time to reload." Zoë scrambled to try and get the shells out of her pocket dropping a few as the Uber appraised her helpless state.

"We so don't have time!" Piper frowned and focused on the pair. "Okay Zoë, duck." She called shifted her grip on the staff. The Canadian had enough sense to do as she was told, pulling down close to the ground. She pulled it back aiming carefully despite the fact that she was being thrown around by the Uber she was riding.

Throwing it like a javelin the staff flew through the air striking home with great accuracy as the Uber exploding in a shower of dust. The end of it embedded just a few inches away from Zoë's head in the ground.

"Cutting it close missy." Zoë pushed up when the dust lowered.

"Just get the staff." Piper called as she was thrown off the vampire and collided with the grass.

Zoë gripped it in both hands and pressed up. She gripped it at her hip and charged using every ounce of her strength to imbed it in the creature. The blunt wood pressed into the thick hide but seemed to only infuriate the beast.

"That didn't work." Zoë was pushed away by the animal's thrashing.

Owl scrambled up and grabbed the end of the staff near Zoë. Squeezing it the staff doubled inside, pushing the vampire further away and then with a swift flick and twist of her wrist she pulled the now sharpened end out of the Uber and then back into it dusting it with a satisfying whoosh.

"You have to get to the others and finish this." Zoë instructed the Slayer as the dust settled.

"You'd better come along." Piper encouraged. "We obviously need to protect you."

"I'm so popular." Zoë picked up her shotgun and started to run across the grass reloading it as they moved.

-x-

"You might be feeling the urge to shit your pants sometime soon, but you know, too bad." Faith smirked more. "No bathroom breaks."

"I think you have both overestimated my new mortality." The First watched them circling her.

"Really?" Buffy arched her eyebrow.

"This waiting game, how long do you think you're little witches can maintain this mirage?" She looked over at the atrium.

"Oh you'd be surprised at how resilient they are." Faith pointed out confidently.

"And how powerful." Buffy put in.

"This is how it should be though." The First stopped and smiled. "The Slayers and me, the last fight, a true battle. This is how I dreamed it would be."

"You dreamed about losing, wow," Faith heard a bark of laughter escape from her lips.

"Quite the contrary." The first laughed back. "I'm going to watch you cry dark one." She glared at Faith.

"Hey did someone call for another slayer?" Piper was a little out of breath as she ran up and stopped nearby, her lungs still burning after the near death experience.

"I was waiting for you." The First winked at Piper.

"Oh I bet." Piper glanced to check the other two Slayers were okay.

"Are we ready for this girls?" Buffy questioned flipping her staff to bring out the axe heads.

"I think so." Piper breathed in.

"You bet." Faith gave her staff a spin.

Zoë stopped a short distance away out of breath and panting as she dropped to one knee.

"Kill it." She hissed at them with as much volume as she could find, her eyes locking with Holly's.

"Oh listen to the witch." The First snapped at her. "They kill me, they kill you little girl."

"You think you're strong enough to drag me down with you?" Zoë cursed at her. "Give me a try. I don't think you know anything about Hanlon spite."

"You know I think you are being unfair, fighting a girl on her own, three of you, just one of poor little me." The First moved a little sideways.

"You're more than capable I'm sure." Buffy moved to block its path keeping it back.

"You are all making this an interesting initial few minutes of life." The First walked a few feet from the barrier and did a slow turn appraising them all.

Buffy waited until the figure had turned to face her, she knew that the lightening quick demon wasn't going to be taken by surprise so she went for a head on attack. She flicked the staff to its standard position, swinging it around in an arc.

As she tried to anticipate, the First moved to dodge away from the swing and she lashed out clothlining the almost invisible streak. The First's new form buckled a little around her arm and staggered back.

"Now, now, we learn too." Buffy swung the staff into a braced ready position.

Snarling the First stepped forward and began to throw hard fast punches at the blonde, Buffy expertly used the staff to block the first few before she missed a sweeping right that made her head snap as the hardened small fist jolted her chin.

"I learn too, all these years watching you pathetic mortals." The First spat at her, coming again with faster punches and kicks.

Buffy soon found herself moving between blows as they battered into her body, and she felt her vision flood with stars from another punch to the head. Working on instinct she flicked the staff, brining up the shield blades and with a growl she pushed it into First's body throwing her away and down to the grass. She didn't focus on any of the growing pain her body as she leapt forward. She spun the staff to bring it to true form before she spiked it into the First's back pinning her to the dirty ground before she kicked into the middle of the demon's body making it buckle.

"Oh I've so looked forward to this." The First rolled along the ground towards Buffy unexpectedly tangling herself into Buffy's legs and dragging her down. "Beating the life out of you." She snarled as she pushed the staff down choking it across the blonde's chest.

Faith watched everything waiting for a moment to step in but with the necessity of keeping them and the staffs apart wasn't a good tag team situation.

"Buffy..." Piper tensed seeing how her lover was struggling and choking under the weight.

"She's fine, B can take her." Faith held up a hand to hold the younger Slayer back.

"You're..." Buffy braced a bit kicking up and catching the First in the back of the head with her boot. "Making me." She turned under the body on top of her as the pressure loosened, bringing her hands up to smack both fists into the First's throat. "Look bad." She growled knocking the hands that tried to keep her staff away so that she could knock the First off her completely.

She came up into a crouch and spun out the axe blades as the staff wound around her body going from one hand to the other before she moved it up in a high arc. She slammed the axe down, slicing through the First's back from her left shoulder down to the right thigh.

The demon pitched forward on her hands and knees, its mouth opening as it let out an ear splitting howl. The glass in the atrium a few hundred feet away shattered from the noise, spilling glass in at the two witches making their forms more obvious.

It wasn't that noise but the high pitched scream that was matched as Zoë fell down fully onto both knees that made Buffy spin the staff and pull back.

"My turn." Faith narrowed her eyes at the prone figure. She knew better than to underestimate any target and after seeing it fight B she had all the proof she needed that this thing had skill.

"Yes, the rogue." The First pushed up a little shakier to her feet and turned to Faith, blood bubbled up and streamed out of the corner of her mouth. "I've been looking forward to you too."

"I'm never one to disappoint." Faith dug the end of the pole into the ground and leapt at the figure, hitting it with a solid double-footed kick, as she made contact she leapt back away spinning the staff up. It was good that she did as the First had spun with the attack, coming at her furiously with sharp kicks and punches that backed Faith across the grass.

"Despite your attempts I won't break my killing order." The First growled as the staff came down into her shoulder and she hung onto it, using the back end to send Faith off balance and into the dirt. "My darlings are killing all of your little baby slayers, then I'll kill Pip, you rogue and then the crowning jewel." She kicked repeatedly into Faith's body.

"That the best you got?" Faith brace kicked up and flicked the staff up into her hand behind her back. "Maybe you didn't read the slayer cliff notes, I'm the crazy one who likes pain." True to her word, she ignored the pain lacing through her midsection as she charged again. She used the staff to block punches while she leapt and twisted to land a series of her own kicks to the First's legs seeing how its movements were getting slower and it wasn't doing its super speed runs on them anymore. Finally landing one to the weak inside spot of its leg, she watched the First go down and she bobbed back a bit grinning.

"God B, I think we've fought tougher vamps than this piece of shit." She reached up wiping the sweat off her brow.

Dark eyes shot up and despite Faith's belief the First moved like lightening, having wrapped her hand around a rock in the grass she swung it into the side of Faith's head making the dark Slayer drop.

"Faith." Piper lunged from the side, smacking her staff into the First's back so that it couldn't reach the momentarily fallen Slayer.

The demon staggered sideways coming face to face with Buffy again who was ready for it. The blonde Slayer used strike after strike with the staff to beat the First down to the ground.

"I told you." The First waited until Buffy snapped the axe blades out again before she caught the staff and using her superior strength swung it back catching the blade into Buffy's side. "I'm killing you last." It hissed.

Buffy's eyes went a bit wide as she staggered back pulling the blade out of her body.

"Bitch." Faith pulled the staff around the First's neck, dragging her back in a chokehold.

Throwing her down to the ground, Faith leap frogged over the demon, moving her grip to the middle of the staff and snapping out the knife blades at the end. She landed after twirling in mid air and drove the end down in a side motion, piecing the blade into the First's stomach.

The sharp end passed almost threw the demon's body into the grass making the First arch up against the blade and howling. Again it was matched by Zoë's agonising yell as she clawed her hands at her stomach, flopping down into the grass on her side.

"Faith, she can't take much more." Buffy warned in a low voice looking up at her lover who was keeping guard as she pushed up to her feet again.

"Hear that time to die." Faith went to pull the blade out but to her surprise the First's mouth curled into a bloodier smile.

"Yes, maybe it is time you do." She reached holding the blade in place as she forced Faith away a bit and pressed up to stand even though the staff was still impaled in her. In full view of the Slayers the First pulled it out of her body with a sickly sucking noise. "But first a little of that pain you like."

Seeing Faith's shock the First stepped forward curling her fingers into Faith's jacket and using the leverage she pressed the dark Slayer back into Tara's electrified barrier. The night this time was pierced by Faith's scream as her body went into a hard seize from the electricity.

"I figured out you can't touch each other." The First laughed as the blue fire passed through her making her fingers lock harder against Faith's jacket holding them there as neither could move.

Buffy tried to take a step forward but the wound in her side made her falter and drop to one knee.

Piper felt everything slowing down. Time started to crawl as she watched the spell Tara had put up to protect them killing Faith slowly. She heard all of the witch's warnings in her head; they couldn't touch each other, couldn't touch the staffs together. But as she heard them all repeating, she heard one voice she hadn't heard in along time come to drown them out.

'Trust yourself Piper, when you are tested, when your time comes, you must trust yourself. There is not just right and wrong choices in the heat of the battle, there are shades of grey and you must pick which you will become.' Shanti's soft voice filtered through her ears and made Piper's choice clear. 'You must trust which will lead you to victory.'

"That's assuming I don't kill you with one blow." Piper swung the staff in a twirl in front of her before she lined up and with a hard growl pulled the weapon back parallel to the ground.

'For you Shanti.' She snapped the blow forward, using the total force of her body in perfect fluid motion.

The slightly upwards stroke sent the elongated staff up through the First's lower back coming up through her heart, the sheer strength she put into the move sent the tip of the staff into Faith's shoulder and into the spell which was broken when it touched the staff.

Pulling back the staff, she tore the First's away from Faith, the dark Slayer's unconscious body dropping in a heap. Piper kept her focus on the First as the demon turned around very slowly to face her, its hands going to the gaping wound in its chest.

"They gave you the real one, who knew." The First sputtered looking at Piper with an amused blink before staggered and fell sideways. Piper stood breathing heavy waiting for the demon to rise again, hardly able to believe it had fallen with just the one blow.

"Faith." Buffy managed to stagger across the grass to the dark Slayer, flipping her over off her stomach. She landed on her knees checking to see if Faith was even breathing.

"Buffy!" Willow came running across the grass with Tara close beside her.

"Help her with Faith." Tara pulled away from Willow moving in the other direction towards the Canadian's prone body in the grass.

"I don't know if it's dead." Piper stayed at the ready a few feet away from the First. Her body was taunt and the staff was gripped tightly in her hands. "How do we know?" She saw the amount of blood bubbling out of the various wounds would be too much for a normal person to live through, but she also knew that any standard of normal couldn't be trusted.

Reaching Buffy and Faith, Willow immediately moved to pull the front open on Faith's coat to see the wound. She balled up the scarf she had been wearing trying to slow the bleeding as Buffy covered the dark Slayer's mouth breathing into her still body to start CPR.

Almost at the same time, Tara landed on the ground next to Zoë softly rolling her over with shaking hands afraid of the state she would find her friend in after the long battle.

"She's..." Zoë's eyes blinked in a long slow motion. "Not…" Her body was taunt with the pain, twitching and struggling against the pain.

"Zoë, break the connection." Tara pleaded moving her hands around the Canadian's face brushing back the bloody tears that were streaming down the woman's cheeks.

"A... few... more..." Zoë's body buckled with each gulped breath as she slowly blinked again looking through Tara into the dark place the First's death was trying to drag her down into. "Moments."

"Zoë, break it now!" Tara screamed at her moving her hand down to her friend's shoulders shaking her against the ground trying to break her concentration.

"Almost." Zoë whispered her breath rattling in her body as she brought her arms up to Tara clutching onto the blonde's shoulders.

"Please Zoë... please." Tara held onto Zoë's coat shaking and pleading with her.

"Almost... there." She gasped her hands going limp and beginning to slide away from Tara as her grip failed.

"Tara?" Piper screamed over at the witch not knowing what was going on.

"Finish it, I'm ready." Zoë breathed out, her body going completely limp and her chest stilling as her eyes stayed open and blank.

"KILL IT!" Tara screeched looking up with tears in her eyes.

Piper looked back down at the body in the grass. Moving her hands to the centre grip, she squeezed her anger and pain into her hands and the front edge of the staff split open to reveal a long razor thin blade. With a quick precise spin, Piper moved fluidly stroking the sharp edge through the First's body severing its legs on the front swing before the back swing cut through its torso and then finally the finishing swing cut its head off.

As the last of the blade passed through the First, it melted away like mist burning as the sun started to rise around them. Piper came to a resting stop and eased her grip, letting the staff return to normal.

"We did it." She stated looking around and seeing no other threats. "Buffy." She knelt down by her lover helping her sit up a bit more steady. "Faith." She glanced over to where Willow was now trying to pack the wound.

"We have to get everyone out of her, she needs Giles." Buffy reached up and for the first time in hours was able to lean her body into Piper's. The simple touch confirming to some part of her mind they had won.

"I can carry her." Piper glanced back where Tara was hunched over. "I'll get her to the bus, Willow get Buffy there then we'll get Zoë."

"I'll take care of Zoë." Tara shook her head to the order. "That is I'll get her to the bus." She clarified her voice shaking a bit.

"Is she?" Willow squeaked the question as she helped pull Buffy up to stand while Owl picked up Faith's limp body.

"Let's just get out of here. " Tara whispered and added a soft chant under her breath. The Canadian's body rose up from the floor, supported by a cushion of air.

-x-

Buffy approached the bus tentatively, seeing the littering of Bringers bodies and dust made her realize that while they had been killing the First, the rest of the SIT's had been waging a war of their own. A lot of the bus windows were broken and the door was slightly lopsided in its frame.

"Hello?" She called out checking that under the bus there was nothing lurking.

"Buffy?" Giles' slightly beleaguered voice called back as his head came up in the front window before the door slowly was pulled back.

"We need to get them home." Buffy looked at him not wanting to ask who else had survived at this point. She felt too empty and was still bleeding a little too much to want to focus on emotion.

"Clearing a seat would be great." From behind her Owl called as she shifted Faith a little in her arms.

"Oh God what happened to Faith?" Kennedy's head poked up from the roof with her crossbow, looking very worse for wear. "I'm on it." She flipped around through one of the open window and moved to the back kicking open the large emergency door. "Send her in this way."

"Is everyone else accounted for?" Willow questioned the Watcher reaching up to pick some of the glass out of her hair as the sharp edge scratched into her scalp.

"The only one we can't find is Spike." Giles put forward but didn't clarify who was lost, who was injured and who was still okay.

"We need to get out of here." Buffy underlined again as first Faith and then Zoë was lifted into the back of the bus.

"I'll go back to the field, check undead things are back to being very dead and pick up my bike." Owl moved back out of the bus when they had Faith secure inside.

"Piper..." Buffy moved over as everyone started to file into the bus. "Leave it, it's too risky." She put her hand up on her lover's arm.

"This way we check that there's nothing big and bad still lurking, and hey I'll even look out for Spike." Owl stopped and smiled at the blonde. "And you know me, I love that bike."

"I know you do but we've just beat the First Evil and I saw what she did to you." Buffy urged her again to come back to the bus.

"I'll be two seconds, I'll drive along side the bus all the way." Owl put her hand over Buffy's confidently.

"You better, if I have to come back looking for you I'm going to be pissed." Buffy pulled back and threw her the staff.

"Nah keep it." Owl threw it back right away. "It really messes with my balance on the bike." She winked.

"You can be infuriating." Buffy held it and smiled.

"Yeah but I can also be dead cute." She winked again and waited until Buffy was up inside on the bus steps. "Get on the road!" She urged as she gave the side of the bus a pat.

Giles brought the slightly strained engine to life and with more than a few backfires their makeshift tank started off.

Owl straightened up as the large bus lumbered down the road, flexing her shoulders she began walking towards the open field. She shook her head as she trod lightly across the grass. She tried not to look at the dead bodies of Bringers, and the dark spills of blood that littered the area.

She made her way directly to where she had left her bike, frowning when she saw her Harley on its side with long scuffs up and over the gas tank.

"I'm taking it since you're up and about we won." Spike came out of the shadows wiping off a bloody sword. The vampire looked swollen and bruised in more than one place having obviously been very much part of the fighting.

"You've got people all worried about you." Owl turned and looked at the vampire. "You okay?"

"Just getting started but I'm running out of fun." He looked at the bodies all around. "The boys were coming in behind the bus full of baby slayers so I was trying to help." He pointed to the corridor.

"You know, you try and hide it but you're not really a bad guy now that you got that soul, even if you have made some bloody stupid mistakes." Owl shook her head and looked at the bodies, it seemed the vampire had taken down a few dozen Bringers himself. "We're heading home, to do the count and start patching everyone up."

"You didn't know me before the soul." Spike shook his head and walked closer to her. "I think I'll stay and clean up here, I'm not one for the post war stories."

"Spike, come on, you've been a part of this, you deserve to come back to the house." Piper offered the olive branch as she righted her bike.

With a growl Spike dropped the sword and lunged at her using both hands to push her down over the side of the bike as it fell under her weight again and the tank was scratched more.

"Spike what the Hell..." The air was forced out of Piper's lungs as she tumbled backwards and bounced off the handlebars.

He growled again leaping over her and moving towards the shadows.

It took Owl a little longer to recover than it might have any other time, simply because of everything she had been through that day. But when she had steadied herself and ran after him.

"Didn't you get the memo mate?" Spike tripped the Bringer and leaned down over him snapping his neck. "Fight's over, you lost." He slumped to the side against the wall.

"Nice call." Piper appraised the dead Bringer briefly. "You could have just said 'Piper go kill the guy lurking in the shadows', you didn't have to try and break my neck." She pointed out laughing softly.

"Well I didn't have much time to say that with this…" He reached in moving his coat and pulling the dagger out of his chest. "Coming at you." He dropped it to the side.

"Oh Christ." Owl pulled off her dirty T-shirt, balling it up she pressed it against the large bloody wound.

"Stop fussing I'm fine." Spike tried to bat her hand away.

"What you wanted a war wound to show off to the next few hundred Mrs. Spikes?" Owl ignored his protests and continued to apply as much pressure as she could.

"Are you forgetting Slayer I'm dead." The vampire moved his hand over hers and pushed up to stand.

"Oh damn." Owl stepped back smiling at Spike, letting her grip on the T-shirt ease. "I wish I could remember helpful basics like that, would save my bra getting so much air time."

"Now you want my pity?" Spike laughed sharply and eased off his duster tossing it at her. "Here cover up before Buffy thinks I'm making a pass at you and stakes my ass."

"You saved my life." Piper looked at it and then pulled it on fastening the button between her breasts, the statement was made somewhat matter of factly.

"You should get going, she'll worry." Spike shrugged it off and moved to pull his smokes out of his jean pocket. He took a long draw seeming to enjoy the comfort of the familiar taste.

"I can give you a ride back." Piper pointed back to the bike.

"To be honest I think I'm getting tired of Sunnydale." Spike took another slow drag checking that the bleeding had stopped before he tossed the bloody shirt away.

"You mean you're leaving?" Owl stopped and looked at the vampire.

"Yeah, now don't act all broke up about it." Spike smirked at her.

"Well you know." Piper shrugged. "You've been helpful."

"Look Slayer, we can pretend a lot of things, we can dance around like little girls but we both know the score. She doesn't want me around, she's made that clear." Spike took another drag before he dropped the cigarette and snuffed it out with his toe. "But you tell Rupert this had nothing to do with his little ultimatum, I'm tempted to stay just to see if the fluffer has the balls to live up to what he claimed."

"You tried to rape her Spike, she has every right to not want to see you, but she's not like that you know that as much as I do." Piper shook her head a little. "And as for Giles, well…" She shrugged. "I don't even think he thinks you'd pay any attention to him. Where will you go?" She added quietly.

"Don't know." He shook his head. "Big wide world out there, might be fun to cause some trouble in a few of my old hot spots, as a good guy of course."

"Make sure you let us know where you are, you know as well as I do, she'll worry if she doesn't know." Owl conceded.

"You really want that?" Spike cocked his head to one side looking at her.

"This isn't about what I want." Piper shook her head. "And rightly or wrongly, she feels for you." She shrugged. "I'm not sure what she feels, but she does."

"She knows what she feels for you though, so you better look after her." Spike glanced at the growing light in the sky above them. "I didn't get this bloody soul just so some frilly bird could break her heart." He warned lightly.

"If she wants me, I'll stay with her and love her as much as I can." Piper vowed. She dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out the keys to her Harley. "Here." She held them out.

"You're an honourable one aren't you?" He snorted with a smile as he reached up letting her drop them into his hand.

"I've counted the scratches on her, if there's so much as one more on her when I see her again, I'll stake you on the spot," Owl pointed out quickly.

"Expecting her back in one piece, you getting slayer stupid?" He laughed and backed up to right the bike again on two wheels.

"Spike." Piper watched as he climbed onto her bike. "You saved my life, you did good tonight by helping all of us but you still have a hell of a lot that I'm never gonna forgive you for." She wanted him to know the score before he left. "Shanti gave me that bike, she gave me it because she believed in me, she gave me it because she trusted me to respect what she was giving me, and I don't just mean the bike. I'm giving you the bike Spike, because I want to trust you. I want to believe you're worthy of that trust and that this soul you say has changed you, really has."

"You're putting a lot on a dead man." He sparked the engine to life. "I'm a vampire and you're a slayer, so the best I can promise is that if I lose this soul...' He paused. "You'll get fair warning before I come to see just how tough you are." He gave her a wide smirk. "And trust me, I expect you to be one hell of a fight after saving the world here."

"Good enough." Piper nodded. "Now get out of here, if you're lucky you can out run the sun."

Spike nodded and pulling down on the throttle took off across the field spinning grass and dirt in his wake.

-x-


	29. Chapter 29

**Copyright Disclaimer : **Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.

**Paring : Willow / Tara - Buffy / Other** - Set **in Season Seven, but as you will see quickly veers away from the events presented. The First is still the big bad, there is a gaggle of SIT's in town but something very different is about to happen…**

******Rating : M **** Contains scenes of violence, sexuality and nudity**

******Shades Of Grey : Part Twenty Nine.**

The bus lumbered down Revello slightly off kilter as one of the tires had begun to deflate on the way back. Buffy had kicked out the useless front door and no one had bothered to secure the back door concentrating more on keeping the injured in their seats. Pulling the vehicle to a stop Giles turned the engine off and pushed up cradling his injured arm to his body.

"Okay for now." Buffy pushed up to stand. "The injured that need real attention need to be taken to my house." She glanced around. "The walking wounded go to the big house." She pointed to the other one.

"You going to float her again?" Kennedy questioned Tara as she went to try and move Faith back towards the door.

"Let me see if I can manage both of them." She looked at the war beaten SIT sadly.

"Together baby." Willow moved over putting her hand in Tara's.

Tara looked down at the hand that touched her own and for a moment it looked like the blonde witch would cry just from the gentle touch. Instead though she nodded softly and closed her blue eyes. The injured Slayer and the Canadian instantly were wrapped in a soft sparkling cloud, that moved them out of the bus and off towards the house.

Slowly everyone else started to file out of the bus, leaning on each other or being carried.

"Faith?" Dawn came out the front door after hastily bringing down the barrier when she'd been signalled that the bus was coming. "Oh my God, Buffy?" She looked up her eyes burning with tears as she looked for her sister.

"Dawn." Buffy's head shot up and she ran forwards to her sister pulling her into a tight hug instantly.

"You're hurt." Dawn held her tightly not even listening to her own words.

"I'm okay." Buffy shook her head and then glanced over to where the other Slayer was being levitated towards the house. "Faith's..." She frowned not able to finish.

"Is she?" Dawn's body began to shake as she looked back at the dark Slayer.

"She's alive." Buffy quickly assured her sister. "But she needs you." She added nodded for Dawn to head back to the house. Dawn took one quick step then stopped.

"Buffy, where's Owl?" She frowned hard.

"She's..." Buffy looked at the road and took a painful step towards the curb. "She went to get her bike." She looked down the deserted street.

"Zoë! Zoë!" The tight, yet still controlled voice of the young English woman announced her arrival in the front garden just as Buffy staggered towards the road.

"Beth." Willow held her hand up trying to keep her from interfering with their spell until they could get her inside.

"Just tell me." She looked up looking into Willow's eyes. "Is she..." She didn't finish her words.

The redhead's sad green eyes looked the short distance over to her lover.

"Let's just get inside Bethany." The blonde witch blinked softly and was pleased when Beth took her answer and moved to keep the door as wide open as she could.

Willow felt their powering dipping as they managed to get Faith positioned on the dining room table and Zoë landed on the couch.

"Is there anything we can do?" She questioned Tara in a whisper.

"Not yet." Tara shook her head as Beth hurried to kneel by the couch. "The best thing we can do is let Beth tend to the obvious physical things." She stepped back a little.

"So she's not..." Willow couldn't finish as she forced herself to look away over to where everyone else was trying to assess Faith's injuries.

"No." Tara confirmed. "Then again…" Her voice dropped slightly. "Neither is Candice." She reminded sadly.

"You mean she could be..." Willow swallowed her voice going to a whisper. "Like Candice?"

"Willow, I'm not saying..." Tara's voice trailed off as blue eyes rolled slightly as if suddenly all of the blonde's efforts and power draining caught up with her.

"Tara!" Willow squeaked moving to catch her before she fell and slowly lowered her to the ground. She looked around almost ready to ask someone for help but seeing how caught up everyone was she couldn't. She settled on the only course of action that she had, she gathered up a pillow and blanket from the chair and moved over to make Tara as comfortable as she could where the blonde had collapsed.

Beth's eyes flickered somewhat nervously over to Tara and Willow as the blonde sunk to the floor. Seeing Willow there to tend to her, she then turned her attention fully her lover.

"Hey we won." Beth whispered as she reached over and eased sweat-damped hair back off the Canadian's forehead. "Well you guys won, I came second in scrabble." She pointed out with a soft laugh. "I would have got more if Anya would have let me have horrification. Do you have any idea how hard it is to play scrabble with someone who's been alive longer than the game has existed?" She added still chuckling softly.

"Harder than playing with me making up words?" Zoë's hoarse voice was almost inaudible.

"Much harder, I couldn't kiss her into submission when I was losing." Beth's voice hitched and tears sprung to her eyes at the sound of her lover's voice.

"I hope not, I told you I was coming back, so no looking for a new girlfriend." Zoë managed to reach up her hand though the movement made her moan.

"Easy." Beth closed her smaller fingers around Zoë's hand softly. "Just cause you won, doesn't mean you can go and be all pushing your luck on the health front."

"Trust me, I haven't felt this crap since that time the gang took me out for my birthday." Zoë laughed and then coughed as it racked through her. "How is everyone?"

"Well at the moment the place is pretty much chaos." Beth admitted. "What can I do for you?"

"Tell me again that we won?" She struggled to open her eyes blinking as Beth came slowly into view. "Hey sexy."

Beth lightly traced her fingertip over Zoë's eyebrows, playing down her surprise as pale grey eyes looked up at her.

"Are they permanent?" She asked softly tracing her finger over and over the soft arch of short hairs.

"Is what permanent?" Zoë questioned not understanding.

"The grey eyes, not that I'm complaining, but I thought I was the one who had the stunning eyes." She gave a mock pout.

"Baby, I know I just went ten rounds with the ultimate evil but I think I have brown eyes don't I?" Zoë squeezed her hand.

"Well you did have." Beth nodded. "But not right now."

"Oh." The Canadian blinked. "I don't know, I'm just glad I can move all my limbs."

"Me too." Beth admitted. "And hey if they work, I can cope with the grey."

"They work. You put your hair up." Zoë reached up smoothing her hand over the soft locks.

"I did." Beth nodded reaching up to flick at the blonde ponytail. "I thought I might be called on to use my first aid skills. I got the impression from Xander that anything I could help with would be beneficial, even if I never finished my qualifications." She tried to sound convinced she could be of service, even while she was racked with severe doubt.

"You should be, Faith was electrocuted, Buffy was stabbed, Owl was choked."

Zoë tried to push up. "Tara and Will... ow." She gasped as her muscles cramped up and curled her body up in pain.

"Hey!" Beth put her hands on her lover's shoulders and eased her back. "You know what you need?" She said softly. "You need a nice warm Radox bath."

"You might have to hold me up, I think I'd fall asleep and drown." Zoë managed a lopsided smile.

"Well that was more of an offer than anything else." Beth smiled back. "If it were big enough I'd suggest a hydrotherapy pool. But even the big house only has a corner tub."

"Mmmmm it might be a bit hard to carry me that far." Zoë admitted.

"Well how about you try and sleep, and then we'll work on the muscle cramps?" Beth suggested.

"Okay." Zoë felt her eyes slip closed almost without wanting them too.

"Sleep baby." Beth leaned forward and pressed her lips to the Canadian's forehead.

-x-

Dawn held her spot at the head of the table, smoothing her hands down the side of Faith's forehead.

"Come on Faith, just open your eyes please." She whispered her head bent down close to Faith's ear. "You beat it, you won, you can't die on me now."

"I don't know what I can do, I'm not a paramedic." Anya scowled as she cut slowly through the thick leather coat trying to get to the wound that the staff had skewed all the way through the Slayer's shoulder.

"Dawn, maybe you should go help the SITs with some of the surface wounds." Sandra put her hands lightly on the teenager's shoulders, attempting to gently pull her backwards.

"I'm not leaving her." Dawn threw the Watcher's hands off and moved to grab a wad of bandages pressing it against the wound when it started to bleed more as Anya relieved the pressure the leather had been offering.

"We need a doctor." Giles moved in from the lounge his shirtsleeves pulled back, his arms more or less covered with blood. There was a deep frown creasing his brow and hard tiredness in his dark eyes.

"We don't have a doctor." Dawn snapped at him.

"That's not exactly true." Beth pushed up from her place on the floor near Zoë, taking a deep breath, attempting to consolidate her confidence.

"What?" The brunette's attention flashed over to her.

"I dropped out in my final year before I started my residency, but I managed four of them." She pulled off the light grey cardigan she wore and re-fixed her hair. "But if you trust me to try?" She asked quietly.

"Giles, move let her help." Dawn managed to keep herself from reaching up and pushing him out of the way. Beth smiled tightly as the Watcher moved aside.

"What we need to do is sort people." Beth looked at Anya, Xander, and the others that were gathered around her now.

"Is this where Zoë learned her skills?" Anya asked handing her a pair of sterile gloves, quickly piecing things together.

"Sword and dagger wounds though ugly shouldn't be fatal, unless they are deep and located in the thigh, arms, chest or abdomen." She nodded to answer Anya as she snapped on the hygienic gloves.

"We've got a few." Xander piped up hearing the round up and wanting to help as he could.

"Great, now anyone who's conscious and who can tell you where it hurts and how, is gonna hang in." She smiled at the willing volunteer. "See if you can move those who are actually with us and conscious upstairs. No more than two to a bed and any injured limbs elevate and isolated. I think Faith needs most of my attention right now." She assessed just glancing at the dark haired Slayer.

"On it." Xander moved off to start scrambling with the SIT's with older injuries to help.

"Anya." She looked at the former demon. "You're great at stitching, go with Xander, make initial assessments and stitch up any you're happy to do just that to."

"Are you sure?" Anya looked down at the Slayer.

"Positive." Beth took a small step towards Faith and rested her fingers lightly on the pulse point on Faith's neck. "Dawn, you're with me, get me bowls of water, towels, more dressings." She looked seriously at the teenager.

"I'll be right back." Dawn kissed Faith on the forehead quickly and moved off to get the supplies, many of that were already stacked in the kitchen.

"Giles, Sandra work with the unconscious." Beth turned to look at the Watchers. "Check breathing, pulse rates, and eye dilation." She fished in her pocket and pulled out a small torch she held it out to Sandra. "I think Tara's just exhausted, and I think Willow's gonna dip with her soon." She glanced at the two witches. "I don't know how this magic stuff works, but shock might be an issue."

"I'll check them and make them comfortable as well." Sandra took the torch and moved away.

"Okay you." Beth moved tight up to Faith. "Lets see if you've got as much spirit as your mouth suggests."

"I have the stuff." Dawn came back in almost spilling one of the bowls as she dumped it beside Beth and then stacked up towels and bandages.

Beth frowned softly as she eased the heaving wading on Faith's skewer wound, the ripped skin and torn muscle pulsating with the flow of blood. She flicked hazel eyes up at Dawn.

"Where's your sister?" She asked. "I noticed she was bleeding."

"She's on the lawn, Owl hasn't come back. Apparently she was getting her bike and coming right behind." Dawn looked up through the window to where Buffy was sitting on the front walk.

"Send someone to get her in, we don't have blood to transfuse if she looses too much." Beth pointed out.

"She won't come in for anyone." Dawn used a wad of towel to sop up some of the blood as Bethany inspected. Beth swapped the dressing on Faith's shoulder for a fresh set that she ripped out of its sterile packaging.

"This is nasty." She summed up wanting to be straight with Dawn.

"You just have to get her stable, her slayer healing can do the rest." Dawn pointed out hopefully.

"I've heard a lot about this slayer healing and believe me, she's going to need it with this. The wound is too wide to stitch on either side, it's going to need packing, it needs to heal from the inside out." She carefully packed it and secured her work. "There's no guarantee that the muscle will be as strong as it used to be."

"I don't care, she just can't die." Dawn shook her head looking down at Faith. "They won, no one can die now."

"I need to know what happened to her." Beth glanced up again at Dawn. "Perhaps you could try and get Buffy in." She pointed out. "For Faith's sake."

"Okay." Dawn nodded squeezing Faith's hand again before she ran out the front door and down the lawn. "Buffy." She moved down on her knees next to her sister.

"How is Faith?" Buffy said instantly.

"Beth needs to know what happened to her." Dawn admitted weakly. She reached out with the towel she had brought pressing it to the wound that was visible on Buffy's side making Buffy breath in through clenched teeth. "And she doesn't want you to bleed either."

"It's not serious." Buffy shook her head.

"Buffy..." Dawn pressed harder and made Buffy look at her. "What happened to Faith?"

"I... its a bit of a blur." Buffy admitted frowning a little her concentration harshly severed between her sister, the victory and Owl's absence.

"We need to know. Please." Dawn underlined.

"She, there was an electric barrier." Buffy tried to focus.

"She was electrocuted again?" Dawn gasped in.

"She's a slayer Dawn, it'll be okay." Buffy tried to assure her sister but her voice was blank.

"What happened to her shoulder?" The brunette questioned harshly.

"The staff." Buffy glanced down.

"The Staff?" Dawn snapped on the small words instantly.

A low rumble from the street interrupted the conversation as an old Citroen that looked not unlike the one Giles had driven years before into Sunnydale shakily pulled up onto the curb. The driver's door was pushed open, and promptly fell off with a loud clatter. From within it, Owl pushed out and up to stand.

"Piper." Buffy pushed up and rushed towards her.

"Hey, what are you doing out here? You're wounds still bleeding." Owl put her arms around the other Slayer.

"Where have you been?" Buffy looked at her almost not believing her eyes.

"Long story, come on, I'll tell you all about it while I stitch you up." Owl tried to lead her inside.

"Piper, what happened to Faith?" Dawn questioned as they moved closer.

"Faith." Piper spoke the Slayer's name as if remembering the recent fight. "Come on, let's get inside I'll help all I can." Dawn nodded and rushed back inside with them both.

"Owl is here." She explained to Beth as the three of them moved into the dining room.

"Please tell me that one of the Slayers made it without serious injury?" Beth glanced up at Piper as she worked on loosening all of Faith's clothing so she could examine her.

"I'm ok." Owl nodded hoping the woman wouldn't notice the large ring of bruises around her throat.

"She needs to know what happened to her." Dawn urged moving up to rub Faith's forehead again.

"Look why don't I help Beth out, you patch up Buffy?" Piper offered Dawn the deal.

"Sit." Dawn nodded slowly and moved towards her sister, she pointed to the chair.

"We won Dawnie." Buffy slid down into it.

"We did." Dawn nodded and moved to cut off the bloody section of the blonde's shirt so she could see the wound. "You did it." She whispered to her sister moving to clean it quickly.

"No, we did it, all of us, together." Buffy felt her eyes close as pain flooded her systems, beating back the endorphins she'd been surviving on.

"We did." Dawn checked the long but shallow gash. "Do you want it stitched?"

She checked moving a large packing bandage over it.

"I think it'll heal up, and I think I deserve some kind of scar don't you?" She smiled at her sister.

"Since you're retiring definitely." Dawn smiled back at her securing it in place with long portions of tape.

"What I'm I going to fill my time with if I give up fighting the bad guys?" Buffy leaned back into the seat.

"Watching me to make sure Faith and I don't do anything you don't like." The teenager gave her a wide grin and Buffy felt a tired smile tug at her face.

"Maybe I should teach, they'll need staff at the new high school." She offered with a light laugh.

"No way, I don't want you watching everything I do." Dawn shook her head. "Is she going to be okay?" She whispered glancing over to where Piper and Beth were working.

"She's tough, she's proved that several times." Buffy nodded.

"Is it really dead?" Dawn finished with the tape and leaned a little against her sister's good side.

"It's really dead." Buffy nodded letting her head droop to rest against Dawn's.

"Shit." Beth's soft curse broke the moment of respite. "Don't do this to me."

"What?" Dawn and Buffy both looked up.

The young English woman growled as she ripped Faith's tight T-shirt open pushing it clearly back from her chest, and vaulting herself up onto the table

"Faith!" Dawn moved over seeing what Beth was doing.

"Dawn." Piper put herself between the teenager and what Beth was doing trying to spare her the memory.

"Faith damn you, I don't have the equipment here to deal with this." Beth growled again. Her small hands interlocked and pressing down in a hard regular rhythm on Faith's chest.

"What else do you need?" Buffy moved over elevating Faith's legs with a pillow.

"Breathing." Beth's eyes flicked up to Buffy. Buffy moved over basically repeating what she'd been doing in the field. "Come on Faith, you loud mouthed egotistical maniac." Beth continued her work tirelessly as she badgered the dark Slayer. "You're better than this, think of everything you have to live for."

"I can help." Willow pushed over her voice a bit of an echo as she raised her hands in front of her. As everyone glanced at her, they stared longer seeing her eyes had turned from green to a light shadow of black that moved over even the white areas.

"What the fuck?" Piper pushed Dawn behind her a little harder

"Oh God no Willow, not the dark magic." Dawn pleaded.

"Willow." Buffy looked up swallowing, she felt her blood run cold as she remembered the last time she had seen those eyes.

"I can use it." Willow moved over putting her hands over Faith's heart. "You both have to move back." She warned as the muscles in her arms went stiffer.

Bethany didn't think to question as she moved herself back slipping off the table. Buffy slowly did the same, her stare fixed on the redhead.

Suddenly Willow's body spasmed a bit and in turn Faith's body jumped off the table as if she had been shocked. The redhead took a deep breath and then repeated the move before she pulled back.

"Check her." She urged breathing in and out of her nose and taking one small step back.

Beth hurried forward pressing her fingers against Faith's neck blinking almost unbelievingly at the redhead and then at Buffy.

"I have output." She breathed in a whisper.

"She's going to be okay?" Willow half questioned, half stated as she dropped her arms to her side and staggered back further.

"Will?" Buffy moved to the redhead, her insides tightening as the metal ring of the binding bracelets in her pocket pressed lightly into her thigh.

"I'm fine." Willow licked her lips, her body shaking a bit as she fought against the course of magic in her body.

"Why don't I head out to the hospital, pick up more gear and a heat monitor?" Piper offered wanting to break the instant tension.

"She's not fine." Dawn gripped her hands into Piper's arm to keep the other Slayer in place. She knew if Willow went on a bender again, it was going to take more than Buffy to stop her.

"I am fine." Willow pushed her hands out into small fists, fighting against the urge inside her that wanted to give into the magic. She was so exhausted though, they'd being casting for such a long time already and the magic was getting harder and harder to fight.

"Willow, honey what's going on?" From behind them all Tara's slightly disorientated voice called to the redhead. The soft sound of the blonde scrambling to her feet was followed by her arrival in the doorway. "I feel… magic…" She looked at her lover and her eyes widened a bit.

"Tara." Buffy looked to the blonde, her hand hovered over her pocket.

"The only way..." Willow clenched her jaw against the struggle inside her. "I am ever going to be in charge..." She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them to show that the darkness was starting to push out from her pupils showing the green in her eyes again.

"That's right sweetie." Tara encouraged softly, glancing at Buffy she shook her head knowing instantly somehow what the Slayer was referencing. "You can control it." She kept her tone calm and soft. "Remember magic is a tool, your tool. You provide the power."

"I provide the power, I can take it away." Willow slowly opened her hands and put them carefully palms together in front of her concentrating.

Millimetre by millimetre she pushed the darker desires of her addiction away, taking control of it before she was finally able to blink clear green eyes at everyone and her body began to relax.

A broad and proud smile broke over Tara's face as she moved over and wrapped her arms around her lover.

"I love you." She breathed kissing the redhead's cheek.

"I love you too." Willow leaned against her exhausted.

"I think as the world has just been saved, can Willow and I be excused, so that we can sink into a comfortable bed?" Tara rubbed her hand up and down Willow's back gently.

"Do you want help upstairs?" Buffy offered while Beth moved to stabilise Faith further, the dark Slayer wasn't out of the woods yet by any means.

"Thank you." Tara nodded gratefully, trying to resolve herself to leave them all to tend to Faith and the others. Right now her job with Willow, was getting both of them in a better position to control their powers.

"I'm still gonna head out to the hospital, need anything else?" Piper checked with Beth.

"Just what you already mentioned, oh and a standard IV set up." She looked at the tall Slayer hopeful that she'd know what to grab and was relieved to see Piper nod.

"Bandages and sutures." Sandra called from the front room. "Saline and tape."

"Does Zoë need anything?" Dawn moved over to rub Faith's temple again, comforted by the feel of the Slayer's heartbeat as she moved one hand down to Faith's neck.

"Just to sleep I think." Beth gave the brunette a soft smile, touched by her concern.

As everyone had put in orders, Buffy had moved silently to help Tara get Willow, and herself, upstairs.

"I'll grab everything that looks useful." Piper smiled quickly jotting down things on her arm with a pen.

"Do you want company?" Buffy came down the stairs having pulled on a new shirt.

"You up to it?" The Slayer paused.

"I know the hospital well. I can show you were they hide the good stuff." Buffy nodded picking up the staff. "Just in case we find any stragglers."

"I think you just like to carry it around." Piper grinned. "Trying to look butch." She winked and held the door open

"I can go get my troll hammer if you want to carry it." Buffy teased moving outside.

-x-

Dawn leaned her head to the side looking at Faith, she could feel the exhaustion pulling at her body and mind but she couldn't dare to fall asleep until Faith had at least woken up for just a moment. The silence of the room was broken by the solid and constant beeping of the heart monitor machine that Owl had borrowed from the hospital. Everyone had been reactively patched up, and the plan was that as soon as everyone had a few hours sleep they were going to bundle up those in the worst shape and make a quick drive to the nearest working hospital.

"You should wake up now, you're going to be so pissed off if you wake up at a hospital." Dawn urged her rubbing her hand over Faith's.

"What the hell is that annoying beep?" Faith's dry and cracked lips made her whisper even softer.

"Faith." Dawn pulled her chair up closer rubbing her cheek.

"Hey D, we kicked ass." The dark haired Slayer's eyes were still closed but she did nudge her cheek into Dawn's hand.

"Did you have to get your ass kicked in the process missy?" Dawn kept rubbing and moved her other hand up resting it on Faith's stomach. "That beep is your heart monitor by the way."

"How many did we loose?" A frown creased Faith's pain etched features, her dark eyes still closed.

"No one yet, a few are in bad shape. As soon as anyone is capable we're moving most of you to the hospital." Dawn tried to explain.

"Does that mean I'll get my bed back and not have the blessings of the…" She opened her eyes and turned her head. "Summers dining room table."

"No, it means you're going to the hospital." Dawn informed her firmly. "You get to eat hospital food Miss went and got herself electrocuted."

"No way, what do I want to go to the..." Faith tried to push up and then fell back with a loud groan before she'd even managed to lift her head.

"Exactly." Dawn helped her get comfortable again. "You're shoulder is a mess, don't even ask what Willow had to do to bring you back..." She tried to keep the confidence in her voice but her eyes started to fill with tears.

"Hey." Faith blinked and looked at the teenager. "Dizzy, I'm okay."

"You are now, I know." Dawn nodded trying to regain her composure. "It's just been a crazy few hours."

"So you're packing me off to a hospital?" Faith frowned. "Can I have my own nurse and stay here?"

"When we can get a nurse yes, until then I'm going to get one of those cots and stay with you to make sure you do what you're supposed to." Dawn rubbed her hand again.

"I was kinda hoping you'd wear a nurse outfit and fill the position." Faith winked slowly.

"Are you thinking naughty thoughts?" Dawn laughed lightly and smiled, easing up Faith's hand to kiss it.

"How could I not be? That monitor proves my heart is beating, beating heart means I'm either thinking naughty thoughts or sleeping." Faith smiled but it waned slightly showing how exhausted and in pain she was.

"I love you." Dawn leaned up and kissed her on the lips. "Try to sleep, I'll be right here."

"Hey don't say stuff I might hold you to at a later date." Faith's eyes dipped closed.

**Epilogue…**

"Dawn, are you getting in the car?" Piper stood with the door of the large blue jeep in her hand, and then glanced at Buffy. "How long does it take a girl to get ready? We're only going to pick Faith up from the hospital."

"This is Dawn." Buffy laughed and moved around towards her. "And you know she's excited."

"How you doing baby." Owl slipped her hand around Buffy's waist.

"Am I allowed to say tired?" Buffy admitted leaning into her a bit. "I thought fighting the First was insane, the last two weeks have been worse. With everyone going their own way, Zoë and Beth moving out but staying around. I have to say I was impressed with the way they checked the hotel bookings to find a free room, note I am not commenting on the way Willow convinced the system that they had booked and paid for a two month stay."

"And here I thought you were more happy that Kennedy decided to stick around and keep her eye on them, gets her out of the house." Piper smiled.

"She needs to be needed right now, I'm hoping Giles will come up with a more long term solution for her in time." Buffy admitted.

"She'll be okay baby, I think she's got the message that the witches are a forever thing." Piper smiled at the other Slayer's altruistic concern. "So you're sure you're not lonely? You know with only having Will, Tara, Giles, Sandra, Dawn and me around."

"No, I'm enjoying only having a small army." Buffy smiled softly. "It was nice to see all the girls going home, alive and happy."

"Hey did Dawn tell you, we saw a whole bunch of people moving back in on east side on the way back from the hospital yesterday." Piper commented.

"Really?" Buffy turned to look at her. "I guess it's typical Sunnydale, the crisis is over."

"Yeah, give it a month and nobody will even remember it ever happened I'm guessing." Piper rubbed Buffy's back over and over

"Nope, though they might notice that we've looted half the town." The Slayer worried a little. "Maybe we should bring all that hospital equipment back."

"I believe Giles and Sandra are working on that today, but don't you dare get a complex about the other stuff." Piper shook her head.

"I won't, I'm glad Giles and Sandra are dealing with it thought, it gives me one less thing to worry about." Buffy nodded.

"You worried about picking Faith up?" Piper asked softly.

"You heard the doctors when we brought her in, I'm not sure she's well enough." Buffy turned a little looking up at her, admitting her worry.

"But she's just winding herself up in there." Piper pointed out. "I get the impression she doesn't like hospitals."

"I know." Buffy was forced to nod again. "But can we manage to take care of her? Willow and Tara are just getting mobile themselves."

"I think I know someone who wants the job." Owl's eyes went up as Dawn moved out of the house.

The tall teenager turned and pulled the door closed, and then ran her hand down her thigh before turning around to reveal the blue skirt that Tara had bought her back from Italy. The expensive designer skirt was designed to be a little less than knee length but on the tall young woman only managed to reach mid thigh. She wore long black boots with it and a black sleeveless lycra top with a splash of red paint over her chest and shoulder.

"Get a blanket!" Buffy's face went into a frown and she went to step away.

"Easy baby." Piper's hand on her back tightened gently on the loose fabric to hold her in place.

"She is not allowed to look that... that..." Buffy hissed under her breath.

"She looks lovely." Piper smiled. "Look at her without the whole sister-mom eyes for a second."

"Hummmmm." Buffy huffed as she watched Dawn push on a pair of dark sunglasses. "She's not allowed to look better than me."

"Never baby." Piper leaned in and kissed near her ear.

"You're biased." Buffy turned back to her pushing on her own sunglasses.

"No, I'm right." Piper winked.

"Let's go get Faith, I'm sure they won't let her out when her blood pressure goes up." Buffy waited for Piper to open her door.

"I thought you might want to drive." Piper held out the keys jangling them lightly.

"And get a scratch on your new baby?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"Hey it's an offer, you want to turn it down?" The youngest Slayer arched her eyebrow back.

"No." Buffy reached up snatching the keys. "Come on Miss. Summers." She called to Dawn to hurry up.

The younger Summers jogged lightly down the front walk, her dark hair swinging lightly over her shoulders.

"You're not driving her home." Dawn put her hand on her hip and stared at the keys in Buffy's hand

"Come on you don't trust me?" Buffy grinned and jumped up into the driver's seat.

-x-

"Hey, guess who has the house to themselves?" Tara eased the drapes back into place as the car carrying Giles and Sandra pulled out of the drive

"Me and this gorgeous blonde?" Willow moved behind her and hugged her arms around Tara's waist.

"Am I allowed to admit it all feels so strange." Tara leaned her head back slightly finding Willow's shoulder in its usual place ready to support her.

"Yes, I think this is the first time in ages that there has only been two people in this house." The redhead gave a content sigh.

"Like the idea?" Tara asked softly.

"It's just me and you, I love it." Willow closed her eyes just enjoying the sound of her lover's breathing.

"We should get something, just something small, for just you and me." Tara let her eyes close introducing a soft slow rock.

"That would be nice. Something like that place Xander has but maybe cosier." Willow agreed. "We could keep the place that Mr. Giles leased us, it's still ours."

"Yes." Tara nodded. "And it already has memories, of the good kind." She stressed. "Beth and Zoë are kinda showing us up, having more or less settled down together already."

"I know but I think that had a little more to do with Beth wanting Zoë to rest and recuperate properly." Willow admitted with a smile. "If we're lucky maybe we can get them a place in our building."

"I suppose there's always Anya's apartment, she and Xander were talking last night about smoochies and suitcases." Tara mused and felt Willow nod contemplatively. "You like Beth don't you?" She added teasingly.

"Why wouldn't I?" Willow questioned opening her eyes. "She's smart and very worldly." The comment made Tara laugh gently. "They make a great couple."

"I was just going to say, you have a soft spot for Zoë, what is you're always calling her in Italian? The moose?" Willow chuckled.

"It suits her." Tara laughed a little harder. "She can be so stubborn."

"From what Giles told me about the spell on the roof I think we have her stubbornness to thank for being here at all." Willow relaxed her arms a little and urged Tara to come over to settle on the couch with her.

Tara easily moved with her lover and the two settled side by side on the soft cushions.

"So what happens now?" She asked looking around the barely recognisable room the whole house had been painted with liberated paint from the decorating store and there was new furniture in all the rooms that had mysteriously disappeared from the already looted stores downtown. After the dust had settled, and the injured had been tended too a jovial mood had overtaken everyone, and with still a lot of SIT energy to burn it had been Piper that had come up with a way to give everyone a post apocalyptic focus.

"I thought we'd decided on the apartment." Willow reached out taking Tara's hand.

"I meant more..." Tara rubbed Willow's hand with her thumb. "You and me, the wedding, children?" She added in a soft whisper.

"Well once we get the apartment sorted then we can start planning the wedding. If we time it right then we can blackmail Zoë and Beth to stay and help." Willow assured her. "I think we can work on children after that."

"Or we could take some time off, and I can show you Europe, you could meet M." Tara offered softly.

"We can do anything we want." Willow urged her to come closer.

"You know in a few weeks, Sunnydale we be Sunnydale again. Full of all the old dangers and demons." Tara drew her legs up and nuzzled into her lover's body. "The First will just be another thing beaten, another apocalypse avoided."

"Are you saying you don't want to be in Sunnydale anymore?" Willow questioned softly.

"What?" Tara sat up and looked at her lover, and then shook her head, smiling softly. "No, no I'm not saying that at all," She assured her. "I was just you know, thinking." She tried to explain herself. "The First, it may have been the original evil, but evil will always exist. Just like good will." She took a breath.

"Just like the Scoobies, we get new people, we get more powerful and we keep beating evil back to where it came from." Willow smiled and kissed her lightly. "Buffy said she was thinking about selling the house." She added softly. "Getting something new, so she can start over without all the memories that are here in this house."

"I heard her talking to Dawn about it." Tara admitted. "How do you feel?" She asked tenderly.

"I think it could be a good thing, give her a place to call her own. To start over with Owl." The redhead nodded.

"This place has been our home too." Tara reminded gently.

"I know, but I'm ready for us to have our own home. I still want to be there for Buffy and Dawn, for everyone, but I want to come home to a place where it's just you and me." Willow was honest.

"A place to come home to and slip your shoes off, drinking home made hot chocolate and snuggle your adoring wife." Tara filled out the description.

"Mmmm yes, snuggle naked without having to worry anyone is going to walk in on us." Willow giggled.

"Someone's feeling perkier." Tara noted with a happy smirk.

"Considerably." The redhead smiled happily. "How are you feeling?"

"Ready to show my sweetie how very proud of her I am." Tara replied.

"Really?" Willow wiggled her eyebrows.

"Over and over." Tara leaned up and kissed Willow's lips lightly before making the soft vow.

"And..." Willow gave a slow gulp. "Over?"

"And perhaps more than that." Tara's blue eyes twinkled.

"Willow." Tara pushed up and held out her hand. Willow blinked at her waiting for her to continue. "It's really over isn't it, this whole nightmare?" She urged her up off the couch into her arms.

"It's gone love, just your normal Hellmouth problems now." Willow nodded slowly.

"I meant more." Tara glanced over her shoulder to her backpack that was screwed up on top of one of the last remaining piles of broken things that needed to be taken to the garbage dump. "The us bit of this nightmare." She admitted closing her arms around the redhead.

"I don't know what you mean?" Willow looked over but she closed her arms around Tara.

"Willow, I left you." Tara reminded her gently.

"Oh... I thought with all the marriage talk, and apartment, and kiddies." Willow bit her lip.

"That's my point sweetie. I left you all that time ago because I was frightened of who you were, what you could become, I left because I was lost and scared in a place where I had been secure and complete. I came back, I walked into a nightmare, but I even with all that was going on, I walked back into your life, and since then you have shown me over and over again how much you have grown, how much you have changed. When I stepped off that plane from Florence I was ready to come here, find Buffy and just give her this." Tara slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out an envelope, the corners were bent showing it had gone through more than enough wear.

"You weren't even going to see me?" Willow looked at the envelope.

"That would have been your choice." Tara nodded again at the envelope.

"Do you want me to open it now?" Willow questioned looking at it.

"I don't know." Tara admitted. "I wrote it, on the plane, after a lot of thinking, crying and then more thinking." She revealed her fingertip tracing over the name on the front.

"Baby, I don't care what you put in this letter." Willow shook her head. "As you said everything has changed, we've faced and beat the First, we've both changed so much. I'm not the girl you left and you're not the girl who left me anymore, but we're still madly in love and want to spend the rest of our lives with one another. So this letter, doesn't need to be read." She leaned up kissing Tara lightly. "I've made my choice, I want to see you every day for the rest of my life."

Tara smiled and turned the envelope over, she slid her finger under the seal and eased it open, pulling out the folded pink paper from within. She turned it around and slowly opened it, uncrossing the single fold mark in it. With a smile she looked down and then turned it around to face Willow. On it were written five words.

"I am you know, Yours." She read it in a whisper as she held it out offering it to her lover.

"Oh baby." Willow took the piece of paper and held it to her heart, her eyes filling with happy tears. "I love you." She hugged the blonde to her tightly.

"When I say forever, I mean it." Tara underlined holding her back.

"So do I." The redhead's voice was a loving whisper. "So do i."

******The End…**


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